Counterfeit Money Continues To Plague Businesses

KAYSVILLE, Utah, December 9, 2005 – Chances are you know somebody who has been a victim of counterfeit money. Many times it looks real and feels real, but was printed on a high-resolution printer on a bleached five-dollar bill. The United States continues to modify its currency, making it harder for thieves to counterfeit bills. The U.S. will release a new ten-dollar bill on March 2, 2006 to try and further combat this ongoing problem. Counterfeit detectors are now available that will detect all counterfeit detection properties built into current U.S. currency. ABC Office now has a guide designed to help businesses and retailers know what to look for.

ABC Office, in an effort to fight this growing problem, now offers a free counterfeit detection guide (http://www.abcoffice.com/money-handling-guide.htm#counterfeit). The guide answers many common questions and includes a glossary and FAQ section. ABC Office offers a variety of counterfeit detectors. A complete list of the different styles and designs of detectors can be found here: http://www.abcoffice.com/detect1.htm.

The three most common types of counterfeit detectors 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.

Another popular type of counterfeit detector is the pen detector that uses a chemical solution that uses coloration to determine the authenticity of a bill. Magnifiers are also used to visually detect tiny lettering and features of bills. Most printers are incapable of printing a completely accurate bill. One of the most popular methods of creating counterfeit money is bleaching a five-dollar bill and printing a 50 or 100-dollar bill on it. This will show as legitimate money for some detectors. It is recommended to use a combination of counterfeit detection measures to ensure 100 percent accuracy.

Grocery stores, malls, retail outlets and more commonly use counterfeit detectors. It is recommended to use a counterfeit detector anywhere money is handled. By using a detector, most businesses can cut counterfeit money down by more than half and in many cases almost completely eliminate it. The end result depends entirely on how sophisticated the money detector is.

For further information, please contact David Stuart, Marketing Supervisor of ABC Office, 1-800-658-8788, info@abcoffice.com.

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