Besides a sharp eye, a counterfeit pen should be one of the tools that retail businesses should have on hand when spying suspect bills.

Sometimes, it’s not about the Benjamins but about the Jacksons, too.

Small business owners should be on the lookout for counterfeit money in denominations lower than a $100 bill, which features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, according to law enforcement.

Special Agent Michael Moore of the Secret Service told the Evansville (Ill.) Courier & Press that the big bills are drawing more scrutiny, hence the switch to smaller bills like the $20 printed with Andrew Jackson.

“When I started at the Secret Service 12 years ago, it was mostly hundreds,” said Moore. “But people look at their $100 bills more, so (perpetrators) switched to lower bills. Generally speaking a $20-bill doesn’t get looked at very much, compared to other bills.”

A quick method is using a counterfeit pen, which can reveal a bogus bill on the spot. The pen draws a small line on a suspicious bill with the amber-colored ink. If it immediately turns black or brown, the currency is fraudulent. While no substitute to knowing the currency, this affordable tool pinpoints phony currency in an instant.

Businesses aren’t the only ones getting hit, either. According to Tuesday’s article in the Courier & Press, Moore was investigating someone who conned ushers to allow him to make change for $100 to make a donation.

The Secret Service recommends comparing the quality difference in printing and paper in a suspected bill with a genuine note. Consider these characteristics to protect your business.

Bad Portrait

Portrait

The 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.

Bad seals

Treasury Seals

On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. The counterfeit seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.

Bad border

Border

The fine lines in the border of a genuine bill are clear and unbroken. On the counterfeit, the lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may be blurred and indistinct.

Bad serial numbers

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 a counterfeit, the serial numbers may differ in color or shade of ink from the Treasury seal. The numbers may not be uniformly spaced or aligned.

Bad paper

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. Close inspection reveals, however, that on the counterfeit note 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.

Nothing Beats Vigilance

Use the tools of observation and train your cashiers on how a bad bill looks. An inexpensive tool like a counterfeit pen can help too.

After all, you should be focusing on running your business, not how to fill out a currency report. But if you do, download one here.

Hopefully, this form will never need to be used as long as you keep your eyes open and your register closed to counterfeit money.

Tags: bogus bills, counterfeit, funny, money, packaging, Secret Service, small to medium businesses, small-medium business, small-to-medium business, SMB