How to spot counterfeit money and report fake money.

Can you spot counterfeit money? Don't let counterfeiters fool you, spot fake money and report it to the federal government.

How to spot counterfeit money: Closely examine money you receive and compare suspect bills with a genuine bill of the same denomination and series. Pay attention to the quality of printing and paper, and look for differences instead of similarities.

How to tell if money is counterfeit	Real Vs Counterfeit
Portrait: A genuine portrait appears lifelike and stands out distinctly from the background. The counterfeit portrait is usually lifeless and flat. Details merge into the background which is often too dark or mottled.
Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals: On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. The seals of counterfeit money may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.
Border: The fine lines in the border of genuine money are clear and unbroken. On counterfeit money, the lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may be blurred and indistinct.
Serial Numbers: Genuine serial numbers have a distinctive style and are evenly spaced. The serial numbers are printed in the same ink color as the Treasury Seal. On counterfeit money, the serial numbers may differ in color or shade of ink from the Treasury seal. The numbers may not be uniformly spaced or aligned.
Paper: Genuine currency paper has tiny red and blue fibers embedded throughout. Often counterfeiters try to simulate these fibers by printing tiny red and blue lines on their paper. But on counterfeit money the lines are printed on the surface, not embedded in the paper. It is illegal to reproduce the distinctive paper used in the manufacturing of United States currency.

Genuine paper currency is sometimes altered in an attempt to increase its face value. One common method is to glue numerals from higher denomination notes to the corners of lower denomination notes.

These bills are also considered counterfeit, and those who produce them are subject to the same penalties as other counterfeiters. If you suspect you are in possession of a raised note:

Compare the denomination numerals on each corner with the denomination written out at the bottom of the note (front and back) and through the Treasury seal.

Compare the suspect note to a genuine note of the same denomination and series year, paying particular attention to the portrait, vignette and denomination numerals.

Counterfeit Coins

Genuine coins are struck (stamped out) by special machinery. Most counterfeit coins are made by pouring liquid metal into molds or dies. This procedure often leaves die marks, such as cracks or pimples of metal on the counterfeit coin.

Today counterfeit coins are made primarily to simulate rare coins which are of value to collectors. Sometimes this is done by altering genuine coins to increase their numismatic value. The most common changes are the removal, addition, or alteration of the coin's date or mint marks.

If you suspect you are in possession of a counterfeit or altered coin, compare it with a genuine one of the same value.

If it is above five cents in value, it should have corrugated outer edges, referred to as "reeding." Reeding on genuine coins is even and distinct. The counterfeit coin's reeding may be uneven, crooked, or missing altogether.

To prevent counterfeit money, the U.S. Treasury creates new one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and 100 dollar bills.

Suspect you've been given fake money? Turn it over to your local police or Secret Service field office. Or get more information on how to spot counterfeit money.

Need more information? Read our financial and credit articles related to money or government, and join our online financial newsletter.

Personal Credit

Personal credit scores are based on standards of the major credit rating bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Lenders average the fixed score from each of these to determine a borrower’s eligibility and terms of financing. The rating system looks at several factors and gives a points rating to each one. Positive and negative factors can affect the score.

Factors that can affect credit scores:

* Payment history accounts for about 35% and the way debts are paid, for example if they are paid in a timely manner or paid late. It reflects the number of past due items and how long they were

delinquent, or if there was any collection activity. Another factor is any public records like bankruptcies, liens, and wage garnishments.

* Current total debts accounts for around 30% and considers the total amount of debts owed. This is the number of accounts and each balance owed and it influences FICO scores. Credit bureaus will

look at outstanding debts in relation to the available credit. Getting out of debt by paying down debts can help raise scores over time.

* The length of credit history is a factor concerning the amount of time accounts have been open and the account activity.

* New credit is any recent accounts established. This also includes any credit inquiries indicating attempts to get new lines of credit.

* Types of credit considered is the total number of the types of credit that has been secured. This includes revolving debt on credit cards and retail accounts.

Some lenders may not view past performance as a guarantee of future performance. This is not always true as a credit rating is an indicator of past borrowing and repayment performance.

This can give lenders an idea of how likely it will be for a borrower to repay a new loan in full, on time. They use a consumer's credit rating to determine their risk in loaning money.

A person who has a good credit rating may not have to pay high interest fees or may not have to give a large down payment. Personal credit scores are used to determine whether to loan money to small businesses and corporations. Factors like age, race, ethnic background, religion, sex, and marital status, do not influence scores. Employment history, current employment, wages, and assets are not taken into consideration as part of FICO scores, yet some lenders may look at these areas when evaluating a person's credit worthiness.

Qualified borrowers have a FICO rating of 750 or better, yet people with a score of 650 may be able to get a loan that has higher interest rates. These scores can change monthly to reflect any changes to the criteria used to determine the score. If a loan is paid off it could improve scores. If a bill is not paid or bankruptcy is filed, it could lower scores. Monitoring scores can help identify any problems that may need correcting. AnnualCreditReport.com is the site to visit to request a free credit report, and get credit information almost immediately, but it can take longer when not using the Internet. Credit services can help monitor FICO scores but it usually requires a monthly fee.

New Money $50 Bill

To protect Americans from counterfeit money fraud, the federal government has issued new money. View the new $50 dollar bill.

New Money $20 Bill

To protect Americans from counterfeit money fraud, the federal government has issued new money. View the new $20 dollar bill.

New Money $10 Bill

To protect Americans from counterfeit money fraud, the federal government has issued new money. View the new $10 dollar bill.

New Money $5 Dollar Bill

To protect Americans from counterfeit money fraud, the federal government has issued new money. View the new $5 dollar bill.

Spot Counterfeit Money

Learn how to spot counterfeit money, and where to report fake money to the federal government.

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Tip of the Day: To curb credit card charges, wrap your credit card in a sheet of paper and keep a log of purchases written on the paper, with a grand total of charges in view each time you reach for your card. Before swiping your card, figure out how many hours you'll have to work in order to payoff the charge and jot on the paper: "IOU #Hours of Work". Perhaps seeing how long you'll need to work to payoff the charge will help curb spending.