Could your new $100 bill be a fake? Bank worker reveals the key details you should look out for

The U.S. dollar is perhaps the most recognized currency in the world, which makes it popular among counterfeiters as well. Fake currency notes have been flooding markets in the U.S. and across the globe, and those making them have also become more sophisticated. To fight counterfeiting, a bank employee and TikTok creator Larissa Wrat (@rissawrat) shared ways to tell a fake $100 bill apart from a real one.

Spotting Counterfeit Dollar Bills

In her video, the banker shared that her organization recently came across a fake $100 bill and she wanted to show it to her viewers. She then shared the many ways to identify fake bills as well. At first, she picked up a real $100 bill to show the distinctive features to look for. She showed that the real bill has a blue seal marking with a unique smooth texture. Furthermore, she shows that the clothes of Benjamin Franklin on the authentic bill carry a ribbed texture as well. 

She then picked up the fake $100 bill and showed that the blue seal had no special texture and it felt exactly like paper. Similarly, the clothes Ben Franklin also felt the same as the rest of the bill's surface.

She then held up the real dollar bill to the light to show the distinct security features of the note. However, when she did the same with the fake bill, no such elements were revealed. She then put the two bills one below the other to show the differences in the printing quality. She pointed out that the fake bill had a comparitively dull appearance and the printing had a shadow all over the details. On the other hand, the real $100 had no such quality issues and everything including the image of Benjamin Franklin appeared to be crystal clear and clean. 

Several viewers in the comments lauded that creator for sharing the advice. "I’m embarrassed to say I can’t notice that much of a difference so I would definitely be tricked by this 😩🤣good thing I don’t work with money," @soobin_is_my_mom admitted. 

Meanwhile, others confirmed that the creator's method was indeed sound. "even the super old real ones I've gotten have been way more blue than that. Like yeah the color of the whole thing isn't the best indicator but that would have been my first trigger to look for them," @theacesm remarked. 

Epidemic of Counterfeit Bills

The U.S. Secret Service has warned that the threat of counterfeit U.S. currency to the financial system is ever-evolving. With advances in technology, increased availability of scanning and printing devices, and the adoption of the U.S. dollar as the legal tender across the world, criminals have taken a keen interest in ripping it off.

Just last year, the Secret Service seized nearly 22 million dollars in counterfeit cash. However, this marks a decline since 2020, when the Secret Service confiscated more than half a billion dollars in counterfeit money. Despite the decline, it is best to remain vigilant, and the creator's advice goes a long way for this.

For more updates and important tips, follow Larissa Wrat (@rissawrat) on TikTok.