On Monday, Secret Service Agent Timothy Kirk pulled a huge stack of bills out of an envelope and spread them across his desk. There were dozens if not hundreds of twenties, fifties and hundred dollar bills - or so it seemed. Every single one had been determined to be fake.
"Some of what we seize, we've nipped in the bud prior to it being circulated but what we have here is very unfortunately a loss for some merchant, or individual or bank,” said Agent Kirk.
That’s because a store that takes in a fake bill has no way to get the money back when a bank or the Secret Service discovers it is counterfeit. The massive pile on Agent Kirk’s desk was just what had been recovered in the 18 counties the Syracuse Office covers in November.
Sweet on Chocolate in Syracuse has a loyal customer base for their truffles and other chocolate treats but they said they’re careful when dealing with cash. Linda Orlando said she knows how much a fake could cost the store.
"I get a little suspicious when small purchases are made with large bills,” said Orlando. “You kind of question why somebody is buying something for 3 dollars and using a hundred."
So how can you tell if a bill is fake?
Agent Kirk demonstrated a few easy methods anybody can use with a twenty dollar bill.
He said retailers can hold a bill up to the light and look for the watermark of Andrew Jackson on the right side of the bill. He also said that an inexpensive ultraviolet light can show a thin band on the left side of the bill. Several counterfeits did not have the thin band when placed under the light.
While only one tenth of one percent of bills in circulation are believed to be counterfeit, Agent Kirk said the massive pile of counterfeit money is proof that businesses need to be careful.
