Determining counterfeit banknotes is a complex process that may require specialized equipment and experience, but there are several simple ways that can help you find out if a banknote is fake or not, Sergey Belov, CEO of AtreIdea, told Izvestia.
You can find out the authenticity by touch.
“Genuine banknotes usually have some tactile elements, such as relief, paper texture and fibers, that are felt to the touch. Counterfeit banknotes can feel smooth, plastic, or have a rougher, papery texture.
In addition, he advised to pay attention to the details of the bill, such as the watermark, the portrait on the bill and the metal strip. So, according to him, counterfeit bills may have fuzzy details or insufficiently bright colors.
You can also use an ultraviolet lamp.
“Genuine banknotes usually have hidden security features that become visible when a UV lamp is used. These elements may include glowing paper, reflective inlays, and other similar details,” Belov said.
You can recognize a counterfeit banknote by comparing it with a banknote of the same denomination. Real banknotes should have similar sizes, colors, details, the expert explained.
“But you should not rely only on these methods of identifying counterfeit banknotes, as modern counterfeits can be very cleverly designed and have a large degree of similarity to genuine banknotes. If you have suspicions that the banknote may be counterfeit, it is recommended to contact the bank or law enforcement agencies for additional verification,” Belov concluded.
At the same time, Yulia Popova, international financial consultant, CEO of MultiFamily Office JP INVESTMENT, speaking about what you need to pay attention to, emphasized that newer banknotes have a special security thread 1 mm wide.
“Repeated combinations of letters and numbers “CBR + banknote number” or “banknote number” are noticeable in the light,” she added.
Looking at the bills under a magnifying glass, you can see that each of them has a number of distinctive features, the expert explained. This is mostly hidden microtext with the banknote number or colorless embossing, she said, recalling that perforations can also be seen on the banknote.
“It is worth once carefully studying the money and it will not be difficult for you to distinguish where the fake is and where the real money is,” Popova summed up.
Earlier that day, the Central Bank on its official website reported that in 2022 the number of counterfeit Russian banknotes and coins detected in the banking system decreased by 1.6 times and amounted to almost 22.9 thousand pieces. They specified that for 1 million banknotes that were in circulation, there were four counterfeits.
On November 23, 2022, the head of the cash operations department of the Moscow Credit Bank, Natalya Pozdnysheva, advised that if a counterfeit banknote is found, take it to the police or to any nearest bank.
