We recently brought out several counterfeit money detectors to see how effective they were against fake currency. We tested out money from local businesses and banks. We also threw in a few sheets of blank paper.

The counterfeit detectors did their job and were able to decipher real from fake. This is especially hard with today’s technology.

Copy machines, high-resolution printers, scanners and more can make it easy to copy money. Criminals can use just about any personal computer to try and copy bills. Many bills appear legitimate and may be difficult to verify with the naked eye. Counterfeit bill detectors use a variety of methods to verify money.

The three most common types of counterfeit detection methods are UV (ultraviolet), WM (watermark) and MG (magnetic). UV detectors have a dark light that makes built-in features in tangible currency light up and appear yellowish green. Watermark detectors have a built-in light that allows users to see watermarks such as a face. MG detectors detect magnetic ink that is in U.S. currency. When a bill is slid over the MG detector, a light or other indicator will let the user know if it is authentic or fake.

The pen detector is another widely used device. It uses a chemical solution that uses coloration to determine bill authenticity. Magnifying glasses are also a great way to pick out minute details that a printer can’t easily reproduce.

Many criminals are bleaching five-dollar bills and printing 50 and 100-dollar denominations on the paper. This makes the bill feel real and will even pass through some counterfeit detectors. It is recommended to use a detector that implements several detection methods or a combination of several counterfeit detectors.

You can see all our counterfeit detectors by going here.

Counterfeit money is a growing problem that continues to grow with technology. Color copiers, printers,
scanners and high-tech software make counterfeiting money easier than ever before. Criminals can use a personal computer to quickly create a counterfeit bill that can pass by the naked eye as legal tender. This growing problem is costing businesses around the world thousands of dollars in lost revenue

Although many counterfeit bills may pass the naked-eye check, many additional features are put into a bill for easy authentication. Many counterfeit detectors are now available to help thwart counterfeiting efforts using several methods to detect fake bills.

These are some of the methods currently available:

Currency created by a color copier or printer produces an image that rests on the surface of paper that can
easily be seen when UV light is placed over it. Tiny particles of toner outside the image can also be easily seen with a UV light. Bill counters and counterfeit detectors have a UV light built into the machine. If a counterfeit bill is run through the machine, an alarm or light will alert you that the banknote is counterfeit.

U.S. banknotes are made with magnetic components. Several foreign currencies and travelers’ checks are also made with magnetic components. MG detectors are capable of detecting the magnetic components in money. When a detector does not find the presence of the magnetic components, an alarm or light will sound letting you know the money is counterfeit.

U.S. and other foreign currencies are printed with special marks and symbols that cannot be seen without the use of a magnifier. By using a magnifier, and knowing what to look for, you can see if the bill is counterfeit. This process takes longer and is not built into automatic bill counters or counterfeit detectors.

Watermarks are marks that are specially embossed into U.S. and other foreign currencies. These watermarks can be easily seen when held up to fluorescent light. Watermarks are hard to duplicate and when fake, are easily detectable.

Some U.S. and foreign currencies have a metallic, color-changing emblem stamped into the banknote. An example is the U.S $100 bill that has a stamp in the lower right hand corner that will change from black to green. This is easily detected by the naked eye. Light reflection stamps are not detected by automatic bill counters and counterfeit detectors.

To learn more about the history of counterfeit money, please take a look at our counterfeit prevention guide.

Many bill counters are also built with counterfeit detection in them. One of the more popular bill counters on the market is the ABC V-10. This bill counter is compact, portable and can count up to 600 bills a
minute.