Funny thing happened to me today at lunch

We got a real fake $20 at a garage sale once.

 

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Post a picture of it, that way we can look at it. There are many here who would be glad to see it.

As far as recourse from a bank...highly unlikely. We had one guy come in with an obvious fake $20 claiming he had gotten it from us and we didn't give him a real $20 for it. He had no way to prove where it came from, and we weren't going to take him at his word. Plus, it was such an obvious fake (it was a colorized $20 and the colors were a mile off) that any of us would have spotted it. He probably got it in change and tried to spend it and no one would take it...so he wanted to make it our problem. If you can't prove 100% that you got that bill at a specific branch, I highly doubt you'll get anything.

Also, if you take it to a bank to deposit...and it is fake...they will confiscate it and not give you anything.

 

My understanding is typical bank policy is that if you get a fake from a bank, you have to give it back to them before leaving the bank, or they won't take it back (there not being any proof you got it from them otherwise). If they do hand you a fake and you call it to their attention, they'll replace it with a real one so long as you make the request before walking out the door.

Banks are usually pretty good at catching fakes anyway... but no humans are immune from fallibility, and some do escape attention. Check your bills carefully, especially bigs bills!

 

I for one found it rather suspicious that they *suggested* that you used your credit card.

Of course, I have a non-trusting nature.

 

Well...I DID get it from the bank and if it were an obvious fake I certainly would have noticed it before leaving and let them know. Like I've said before though...I dont think its fake at all...the color is right and it has all the features that any other bill has so there is no reason to think its fake. I have comared all devices and color and just cant find a single reason to proclaim it a fake...so I plan to spend it.

I WAS going to scan the bill an post it here but I doubt it would accomplish anything as all you will see is a normal 20 with nothing at all obviously fake about it...her only reason was it does feel right and you cant feel it over the internet

 

If you ever need to contact the authorities about counterfeit currency, the US Secret Service are the people you need to talk with. The agency was created specifically for this purpose.

 

OK, couple of things

1. 365nm UV light is the best way for normal people like us to check a bill on the fly. The equipment banks use to check for counterfeits don't even look at the security thread or watermark. As a result, most counterfeiters put very little effort into those two features. Under the UV light, the security thread will glow =blue for $5, Orange for $10, Green for $20, Yellow for $50, and Red for $100 (a very faint red on the hundreds).

2. The police will make absolutely no determination on the genuineness of the bills. They will show up and if they are in a good mood, will sieze the note, take down everyone's information, fill out the counterfeit note report, and send it to the secret service. If they are in a bad mood, they will take you down to the police station and make you wait for the secret service to show up.

3. No private individual has the right to "seize" a suspected note, BUT they do have the right to attempt to hold it and stall you while they call the police/secret service to show up to seize it. If you are in a bank and they claim a note is suspect and they want to send it to the secret service, focus on getting a receipt for it as any resistance will just result in a call to the police and a bigger headache.

4. I'm not telling anyone what to do, but if you have a suspect note, just know that if you take it to the bank/police/etc... you won't get it back if it's counterfeit. It sucks, but if you accept a counterfeit, it's your loss and good luck proving where it came from (no matter how much you know where it came from).