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Tracking The Counterfeit
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Counterfeit money has always been a nuisance
and a problem worldwide. Criminals in charge of organizations that
produce counterfeit money use home computers and printing yards
to produce very real looking, convincing counterfeit copies of currency.
Select one of the following headings for more:
--> The
currency
--> Note
creation
--> Tracking
the forger
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| The
Currency |
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| All
currencies are vulnerable and subject to currency forgery, but
the most susceptible are the currencies that circulate around
the world and are able to be used globally. This makes the US
dollar the most commonly and easily reproduced currency, and
unfortunately, currencies that are easily reproduced tend to
attract the most illegal counterfeiters. |
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| *Coins
are not a popular form of forgery, as their value is much lower
and priniting notes is much simpler than engraving coins. Photo
couresty of www.imageafter.com. |
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| Note
Creation |
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In
the past, notes have been created using intricate imprinted designing
techniques and featured difficult to replicate watermarks,
a design imprinted into the note and only visible when a light is
shone on it. They also had specific numbering patterns and fine metal
threads imbedded in the note. However, it became easier for counterfeiters
to forge currencies towards the end of the 1980's as higher quality
colour photocopiers and printers made copies look extremely convincing.
Today's bank notes have new improved aspects to stop the forgery of
currency. These include words that only appear when the note is heated
by a copier lamp, colour-changing ink that turns from green to black
when the note is turned over, print that is only visible when viewed
through a magnifying glass, machine readable only bar codes, shimmering
ink, and holograms. |
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The Euro's introduction early this century has created the first universal
currency in Europe, hence the need for holograms and number patterns
on the note. Photo courtesy of www.bigfoto.com. |
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| Tracking
The Forger |
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| Finding the currency
forger involves combining clues found in the paper type, printing
techniques and the ink variety used. Paper banknotes are now printed
on material that is of a high quality and is economically impossible
to mass reproduce. Microscopes are used to recognise substituted paper
forms and using this information, investigators may then be able to
find the supplier. UV lights can show the metal security threads
in true banknotes and reveal attempts to fake them in fake notes.
X-rays show watermarks and make them clearer. The printing process
can also reveal the counterfeiter, as they usually use laser and inkjet
printers that are easily distinguishable against the extremely high
quality methods used on authentic banknotes. Chemically analysing
the ink can be traced back to the counterfeiters using a computer
database that matches the ink's characteristics. |
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