Counterfeit bill detection is a necessary evil in a world where high-tech printers and ever-smarter criminals are producing counterfeit bills that can fool most people. Counterfeit money detectors, and many bill counters, help quickly catch counterfeit bills before it becomes a serious problem. I personally recommend any business that deals with tangible cash on a regular basis to use a counterfeit detector. One popular method for catching counterfeit bills is MG (magnetic) detection.

Legitimate US currency implements magnetic ink in strategic locations to help thwart counterfeiters. Many modern counterfeit money detectors, and most bill counters with counterfeit detection, will check for magnetic ink.

Most manual counterfeit money detectors require that you slide a bill over a magnetic sensor. If the bill is legitimate, it will usually audibly and visually indicate that it is real. The process takes just seconds and is faster than manual UV detection or counterfeit ink pen detection.

Most modern bill counters, equipped with counterfeit money detection, will scan for UV (ultraviolet) and MG (magnetic) properties. These bill counters count bills at a speed of hundreds of bills per minute. As the bills are run through the machine, sensors scan the bill for magnetic properties. This is probably the fastest way to check a bill for counterfeit properties.

Is magnetic ink scanning 100% foolproof? While nothing is 100%, magnetic detection is very reliable. Bill bleaching, which can be a problem for some counterfeit detection methods, will typically ruin the magnetic ink properties, rendering the bill useless to counterfeiters.

Considering the reasonable cost of counterfeit bill detectors, with some MG scanners costing less than $30, I recommend investing in a solid machine. The savings in catching a counterfeit bill alone will make up for the cost of the machine.

Our ABC-75, at the time of this article, costs $41 and includes UV (ultraviolet) detection, WM (watermark) detection, MG (magnetic) detction and also includes a magnifying glass. This is a video demo of me using teh ABC-75, including the magnetic ink scanner:

At ABC Office, we offer about 10 different counterfeit detectors (found here), which range from manual operation to automated operation. We also offer almost 2 dozen different bill counters (found here), with about half having counterfeit bill scanning capabilities.

We have over a decade of experience with counterfeit bill detectors, so please feel free to contact us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If you have been shopping around for a bill counter or a counterfeit money detector, you have probably come across the phrase UV or ultraviolet. UV detection is an important part of verifying the authenticity of a bill. UV scanners are commonly used to detect counterfeit banknotes. The way UV detectors work is simple, yet very clever.

All US denominations, except the $1, have a UV stripe embedded in the banknotes paper / fabric. While it is visible with a back light, this stripe becomes illuminated when a UV light is held over it.

This shows you where the UV stripe is located on a $10:

We have a guide, found here, that shows you where the stripe is located on $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. You will notice that the strip is located in different places, depending on the denomination. There is a good reason for this. One popular method for counterfeiting a bill is to use a real bill, say a $5, bleach it and reprint a higher denomination on that bill. If you are unaware of where the stripe is located, the bleached bill may pass a counterfeit detector.

Ultraviolet (UV) counterfeit detectors come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are portable and require the operator to visually confirm the stripe, where others simply pull in the bills and use a sensor to scan them. While UV counterfeit detection isn’t 100% effective, it catches most counterfeit bills. Visual UV detectors catch just about everything, but SOME automated machines may be tricked by bleached bills. If you are using an automated counterfeit detector, I recommend you use one that implements several counterfeit detection measures.

Having used several types of manual UV counterfeit detectors, I do highly recommend using them indoors and if possible, in a darker setting. Direct sunlight or outdoor use is almost impossible with a manual UV scanner that requires visual verification.

This is a video of me using a very effective manual UV counterfeit detector (the ABC-75 found here):

We offer a great selection of bill counters with UV counterfeit detection here and a great selection of stand-alone counterfeit detectors with UV capabilities here. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. You can learn more about counterfeit detection by reading our guide found here.

There are few things that can drop your spirits faster than discovering you’ve been duped by a fake bill.  Let’s face it, counterfeiters are getting better. Fake bills are harder to tell apart and methods that used to detect bills 10+ years ago aren’t catching everything. If you run or operate a business, you probably need a counterfeit bill detector. One solid model you should consider using is the Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector & scanner. This is my review.

Cassida is well versed in money handling. They currently manufacture several different models of bill counters and coin counters. It should come as no surprise, with their years of experience, that Cassida would also make several reliable counterfeit detectors.

The Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector is designed for low to medium-volume use. While manual effort is involved to use the 2200, built-in technology cuts down on human error. When used correctly, the Cassida 2200 should catch just about any counterfeit bill out there.

The Model 2200 utilizes several different detection technologies. This includes infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), watermark (WM) and magnetic (MG) detection technologies. With the ability to combine all these different technologies, counterfeit bills don’t stand a chance.

The Cassida 2200 has a relatively small footprint, allowing it to be used at most desks and workstations. It only weighs in at 3 pounds, allowing it to be easily moved from one place to another.

The control interface on the Model 2200 is extremely easy to use and very little training is required to use this machine. Once it is up and running, it shouldn’t take more than a minute (at most) to determine a bill’s authenticity.

Using the Cassida 2200 is easy. Simply place a bill on the work surface. Once in place, a bill can be scanned using infrared detection technology. An IR image of the bill is sent to the build in monitor, highlighting the bill’s characteristics. This makes it easy to quickly point out counterfeit bills at a glance. Few modern counterfeit detectors feature infrared scanning technology.

As previously mentioned, the 2200 also has IR and WM technology. If you’re not satisfied with the IR scan, you can scan the bill for fluorescent UV marks and watermark properties. The UV and WM detectors are also great for checking the validity of checks, credit cards, ID card and more. UV scanning is done by a black light under the hood of the 2200 and the WM backlight is located on the base of the 2200.

The Cassida 2200 can also scan the magnetic ink properties of bills. This is done by rubbing the bill on a magnetic ink scanner located on the base of the 2200.

Overall the Cassida 2200 is very thorough. It implements the latest in counterfeit technology and is a must-have machine for low to medium-volume bill scanning. I feel confident in recommending this machine for use in most retail environments.

You can find the Cassida 2200 counterfeit bill detector & scanner here and our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.

Feel free to speak with one of our counterfeit bill detection experts by calling toll-free at 1-800-658-8788. They should be able to answer any questions you may have.

I was just reading a really good article by Zachary Roth and thought it seemed applicable to this blog, especially since we deal with a lot of counterfeit money detectors. As we all know, counterfeit money is a huge problem. It costs businesses a lot of money in lost profit and revenue. There is a new problem out there, and it has to do with the $100 bill.

To try and make the $100 bill more difficult to copy, the U.S. Treasure and Federal Reserve have created a new $100 bill, 10 years in the making. This new bill contains high-tech features such as a 3D security strip, a color-shifting image of a bell and much more. In fact, these new bills were to be the first ever to include the Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s signature.

Something went wrong during the printing process. Apparently these new bills are so high-tech the machines that print them couldn’t handle it. Apparently several bills (about 1 billion of them) creased during the printing process, creating a big mess. The problem is that these “goofed” bills now constitute 10% of the $100 bills out there, which is about $110 billion of the $930 billion out there.

As a result of this issue, the printing presses have been stopped as the issue is being fixed. The Federal Government is now trying to track down all these bills. According to Zachary Roth’s article, it would take an estimated 20 to 30 years to weed out the defective bills by hand.

This process is being shrunk down to about a year, thanks to some high-tech equipment. Sadly, it will probably cost the government billions to track down these bad bills.

At this point I’m not sure if this will cause a problem with counterfeit detectors, although none of our manufacturers have indicated that this has caused any issues. Most of our counterfeit bill detectors are capable of detecting fake $100 bills in just seconds.

The good news, I suppose, is that these messed-up $100 bills will probably be huge collectors’ items and will be worth a lot more later on down the road.

You can find our entire selection of bill counters here and counterfeit bill detectors here.

Whether you are a school, a small business or a retail store, you probably handle money on a daily basis. Where money is handled, counterfeit money is often involved. Tracking down and preventing counterfeit money can be tough. One great way to combat this problem is to use a counterfeit money detector. One great model that I have personally used and you may want to consider is the ABC-75 counterfeit bill detector. This is my review.

There are a lot of counterfeit bill detectors out there. They range from a simple UV lights to high-end scanners that detect bills in seconds. The ABC-75 falls somewhere in the middle. It has a lot of great counterfeit detection tools built in, but they will all require some manual involvement and interaction.

The ABC-75 uses four different tools to detect counterfeit bills. You don’t have to use them all, since one or two are often enough, but they are all available for your convenience. These detection methods include a UV light, a white light, a magnifying glass and a magnetic ink sensor. Here is what each tool does:

UV Light – The UV light is able to highlight UV strips found in legitimate currency. If these strips do not highlight, the bill could be counterfeit.

White Light – The white light is used to look for watermarks. This usually involves a face that shines through when lit from the back.

Magnifying Glass – The magnifying glass can be used to locate and identify features on bills that are usually difficult to replicate.

Magnetic Ink Sensor - The magnetic ink sensor scans bills for a special magnetic ink used in certain parts of legitimate currencies.

Overall the ABC-75 is very easy to use. It is very light, only weighing in at 3 pounds shipped. This means you can easily pick it up and move it from one area to another. This is especially nice for retail environments. Remember that it does require a 110-120 volt outlet to be used.

You can view a video demo of the ABC-75 counterfeit detector in use by going here.

For the price, and considering how much money it can potentially save you, I consider the ABC-75 to be a great little machine. We have been selling these for years now and they have a great track record with our customers.

You can find the ABC-75 counterfeit bill detector here. You can find our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors and scanners here.

I like to try and keep up on the news and daily events as much as possible. Yesterday, while I was driving home in my car, I heard a story about a lady who tried to use a counterfeit bill at a bank. Being that I work for a company that sells counterfeit bill detectors, I turned up the radio. At firs I thought, “Oh great, another person trying to cash in a fake $50 or $100.” I wasn’t even close.

This morning I hopped online and found an article written by Nick Carbone over at Time about the situation. Apparently this lady was trying to use a fake 10,000 at a bank. As you might imagine, the bank workers got very suspicious.

The article, written by Nick Carbone, goes on to say:

Michael Gallagher, risk management director at Enterprise Bank, said the bill hasn’t been printed since 1934 and he believes there’s only 300 in circulation, so they were fairly sure they weren’t seeing a piece of history come into their bank earlier this week but a crime. The bill was sent along to the Federal Reserve for examination, and the woman was sent out of the bank 10,000 fake dollars poorer.

I found conflicting reports about the $10,000 bill. Many sources say it was printed from 1928 to 1946. Either way, it’s been out of print for a while.

You can read the entire Time article here.

I don’t know why I got such a kick out of reading that article. It amazes me some of the dumb stuff some people try to pull. Did this lady really think she was going to get away with trying to pass off a $10,000 bill, at a bank of all places?

So here’s a piece of trivia. Who’s face is on the 10,000 bill? It’s Salmon P. Chase. Wikipedia has this to say about Salmon P. Chase:

Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 23rd Governor of Ohio; as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln; and as Chief Justice of the United States.

It also ends up that Salmon P. Chase is the guy that helped get “In God We Trust” put on U.S. money.

I have to admit that our bill counters may not be built to verify a 10,000 bill. Chances are very slim that you’ll every have to worry about it.

Now you know a little more about $10,000 and Salmon P. Chase. As I mentioned earlier, we sell counterfeit bill detectors here at ABC Office. If you have time, you should stop by and check them out. You can find our counterfeit bill detectors here.

Counterfeit bill and money detectors use a variety of different methods and technologies to determine the validity of a bill. Some counterfeit detectors will use one single type of detection, where others incorporate several technologies. So which type of counterfeit detection is best to use?

It’s tough to say which type of counterfeit detection is best, because different technologies have their strengths and weaknesses. A lot of it depends on the type of bill being counterfeited and the counterfeiting method used. Region can even play a roll.

Here are the best types of counterfeit detection according to our customers.

Top 6 Best Types Of Counterfeit Money Detection

1. Ink Verification – This type of detection is typically done using a pen. The pen includes an iodine-based ink that reacts to the starches found in wood. Since legitimate U.S. currency uses cotton-based fiber, there is no reaction. If there is a reaction (dark mark), the currency may be fake. The problem with this is many people now bleach bills of a lower value and re-print them with a higher amount. Pens will not catch this.
2. UV Detection – Legitimate bills have features in them that react to UV light. This is usually manifested by a brightly lit line in the bill. You can see where these lines are located based on the denomination by going here. This is a fairly effective way to combat counterfeit banknotes.
3. Magnetic Ink Detectors - Legitimate currency has magnetic properties in the ink located in certain areas on the bill. Magnetic ink detectors can be used to scan for this.
4. Watermark Detection – Most modern currencies have watermarks built into them. In the U.S. this is represented by a person. When lit from behind, this type of watermark is very easy to see.
5. Security Threads - Most legitimate U.S. currency has a security thread running vertically through it. This thread usually specifies the value in text.
6. Magnifying Glass – A magnifying glass can be used to visually identify characteristics unique to legitimate money. This often involves micro printing that cannot be easily duplicated by counterfeiters.

My personal favorite type of detector is one that incorporates both ultraviolet (UV) and magnetic (MG) detection in one machine. You can read a lot more about counterfeit detection, including pictures, by reading our counterfeit detection guide found here.

You can find our entire selection of counterfeit detectors here.

Counterfeit bills are rampant and the technology used to commit this crime is cheaper, more available and better than ever. So what can you do as a retailer or store owner to combat this? Use a counterfeit bill detector. So which model should you use? You may want to consider using the ABC 100 counterfeit detector. I have used it and this is my review.

The ABC 100 uses ultraviolet (UV) detection to determine if a bill is counterfeit. Simply place a bill under the light and it will light up the UV properties found in a bill. These properties vary depending on the denomination of the bill.

You can find more about where these UV properties are located on the bills by going here. You can read even more about counterfeit detection by reading our counterfeit detection guide found here.

The ABC 100 is a very light machine. It only about three pound shipped, so it is extremely portable and easy to move around. It does require a wall outlet to operate.

The only downside to using a UV detector like this is if you are in direct sunlight, it can be hard to see the UV light shining on the bill and the highlighted line may not show up very well. If you are having trouble seeing the UV properties on the bill, you may want to move the ABC 100 to a darker location.

Overall I am impressed with the ABC 100. It is very simple, but UV detection is one of the best ways to cut down on counterfeit bill problems. You can the ABC 100 counterfeit detector here. You can find our entire selection of counterfeit bill detectors here.

Have you ever been the victim of counterfeit money? It’s no fun. If you end up with the counterfeit money in your possession, you’re stuck with it. Banks won’t take it and the chances are pretty good that you’ll never get your merchandise back. What is the best way to cut down on this problem? A counterfeit money detector!

Counterfeit detectors come in all shapes and sizes. Some have UV lights and others have magnetic ink detectors. Based on my own experience, and what I have heard from customers, I have come up with a list of what I consider to be the top 5 best counterfeit detectors.

I hope this list helps put your mind at ease (if shopping) and points you in the right direction. Have questions about counterfeit detectors? Post a comment at the end of this post and I will do my best to answer it.

Top 5 Best Counterfeit Bill Detectors

1. ABC-75 All-Round Money Detector
2. ABC-95 Counterfeit Detector
3. Cashscan Bill Scanner
4. Cassida 3300 Counterfeit Detection System
5. MD-118 FL Portable UV Money Detector

This month we just added a new counterfeit bill detector to our Web site. This detector goes by the model number ABC 100. This compact money detector is very easy to use and is pretty lightweight. I played around with it this week, tried detecting some money and took a few pictures that you can see on the product page.  This detector uses both Ultraviolet (UV) and Watermark (MK) technology. The UV portion of the detector is turned on by use of a switch. The UV light then illuminates the bill being scanned. A bright yellow strip will be illuminated if the bill is legitimate.

The WM detector uses a fluorescent-powered backlight that makes it easy to see the watermark on a legitimate bill. I tried several different bills on the ABC 100 and it easily illuminated the presidential faces on the U.S. currency. I would recommend checking out this new counterfeit detector when you have time.