How to Check Fake Cash | Blog | Cashmaster

Counterfeit cash continues to evolve, making it a leading cause of revenue leakage and loss for organizations across America. Modern businesses, therefore, must take steps to detect fake cash at the point of purchase in order to protect profits and minimize cash shrinkage.

In this blog, Cashmaster answers common questions about how counterfeit cash is detected and explores how bill verification devices help businesses improve accuracy, reduce fraud risk, and strengthen cash-handling security.

What is the Most Commonly Faked Bill?

Historically, the $20 bill has been one of the most commonly counterfeited banknotes in the US. As a smaller denomination, businesses are more prone to let smaller bills like $10 and $20 slip through the cracks. Across branches, however, these small numbers add up, contributing to major losses year on year.

How to Check Fake Cash

There are several ways businesses can train staff to identify counterfeit cash. Banknotes include a range of security features designed to help distinguish genuine currency from counterfeit bills. Methods include:

• Checking for color-shifting ink: Numerals in the bottom right corner should shift from copper to green when tilted.
• Identifying watermarks: Watermarks should match the bill’s portrait and be visible from either side.
• Checking for serial numbers: If you have two notes of the same denomination, check the serial number. If they’re the same, the bills are fake.
• Feeling the texture: Fake bills often feel smooth, while genuine bills are slightly rough with raised ink.
• Raised Corners: Check that fraudsters have not attached the corners of high-denomination notes to lower denominations.

The Drawbacks of Manual Counterfeit Detection

Whilst there is a range of techniques supporting manual counterfeit detection, relying on them can be risky. Counterfeit methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making fake currency harder to detect manually. Not only does this put pressure on staff, but it is also a time-consuming process. Time spent checking for the telltale signs of counterfeit currency can impact both customer experience and employee productivity.

How is Counterfeit Cash Detected Professionally?

Error is inevitable when relying on the human eye to detect fraud. However, bill verification machines are a far more reliable means of identifying counterfeit currency.

Cashmaster GenuOne, for example, is a money validation device that strengthens security without slowing transactions, scanning bills in just 0.5 seconds at the point of sale. The machine is easy to use, with a simple user interface that requires minimal training – helping employees verify cash quickly and confidently.

Optimize Your Cash Handling Processes with Cashmaster

Strengthen cash security and reduce revenue leakage with our bill validation machines and comprehensive range of money counters. The Cashmaster One range includes devices such as Cashmaster One Plus, Cashmaster One Pro, and Cashmaster One Max, each designed to streamline cash handling processes, boost efficiency, and reduce shrinkage.

For a better understanding of how our cash management solutions could benefit your organization, contact us and get in touch with our cash management consultants.