While counterfeit money isn’t new, the Department of Treasury estimates over $70 million worth of fake bills are in current circulation (about one in every 10,000).
They're looking to remind small and large businesses to be on the lookout for fakes. Especially in Illinois, Michigan, New York and 11 total states where multiple instances of fake cash has been used.
Here are some tips to look out for to see if your money is real:
Tip #1: Always examine the feel of your bills. If it feels extra thick or thin, that can be an easy giveaway to a bill being a fake.
Tip #2: Compare and contrast. If you have a $5 or $10 bill that seems sketchy to you, simply compare it to another bill of the same denomination and examine the feel and security features that are on the bill.
Tip #3: Inspect the printing quality of your bills. Another strong give away of a counterfeit is if the printing looks off. Real bills should always have the same color hue as each other. The ink should also look clear and not smudged or off color like fake bills can have.
Tip #4: Analyze the portraits. The portrait on real dollars should look very clear and stand out from the background, while with fake bills, it can look very blended into the design.
Tip #6: Look very closely on the rim of the portrait of the bill because it says, "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" repeated along the sides of it, which can be very hard for counterfeiters to replicate with printers due to its intricate nature.