Fake Currency Notes - Some Tips to identify them

We all have been hearing about the recent fake notes racket - a tool being employed by the anti-social elements to destabilize the Indian economy. Huge amounts of fake money are being used to fund terror operations, and as per various sources a sizeable chunk of the total currency in India is fake. Out of the total fake currency in circulation, only a miniscule percentage of it has been confiscated by the authorities.

A few days back I withdrew some money from the ATM. I make it a point to count and check the notes after withdrawing them. So, while I was doing it, I came across a currency note that looked like it was a fake. And needless to say, I became very anxious. It was well past midnight and the bank was obviously closed. A fake note from the ATM..!! But, when I showed it to the bank people the next day, they told me that it was not a fake.

Nonetheless, I feel coming across a fake note is not a very rare possibility. And thus, I thought of listing down a few pointers that we as laymen can follow to ensure we can spot a fake note from the genuine ones if we ever come across them. I had noted down these points some days back after watching a special show on the topic on a news channel. Though it is very difficult to tell the difference, there are a few prominent differences.

(All the features pointed can be seen with the side of the note having the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi facing the observer.)

	A Genuine Note	A Fake Note
1)	Certain things on the note appear in intaglio print (raised print). They are – - The seal of RBI - The Guarantee & Promise Clause - The signature of the RBI Governor - The Ashoka Pillar Emblem - The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi - Below the floral design, a mark can be seen. The shape of this mark varies according to the denomination of the note. Different shapes for various denominations (Rs 20 - vertical rectangle, Rs 50 - square, Rs 100 - triangle, Rs 500 - circle and Rs 1,000 - diamond) are used. This mark is useful for the visually impaired to identify denomination of the note.	Intaglio print is absent in a fake note. The printing will be smooth. The 2nd and 3rd point will have a lot of differences when compared to a genuine note.
2)	The marks inside the floral design on the left hand centre of the note form the complete & perfect numbers of the denomination of the note when held in light.	There is a gap in between numbers formed in a fake note.
3)	The colour of the denomination in the centre will change from green (when the note is held flat) to blue (when the note is held at an angle)	This change of colour cannot be seen in a fake note.
4)	The security thread in the note appears to be broken when the note is held flat, and it has 6 distinct segments. When the note is held in light, the thread is constant, and has the words RBI and Bharat (in Hindi) inscribed in it.	Continuity of the thread is not maintained in a fake note. It would also not have 6 distinct segments.
5)	On a genuine currency note Mahatma Gandhi’s sketch in the watermark is detailed. The denomination of the note is also visible on the left side of the watermark.	Watermark at the left hand side bears a thicker sketch of Mahatma Gandhi in a counterfeit note. Also the sketch is not detailed and appears cartoonish. The watermark is also not very clear.
6)	A genuine note is made of cotton pulp paper and thus is very smooth and thin.	A fake note is made of wood pulp and is usually slightly thicker and not very smooth.

There are some points of difference that can be seen if one has access to a machine that can project the note in ultra violet light.

1) Sprinkled dual coloured strands of optical fibres can be seen in UV Light. In case of a fake note, such strands are far lesser in number.

2) When a currency note is exposed to UV light and slowly tilted, then in a genuine currency note the silver bromide strip changes from silver to a greenish tinge. This thread will not glow in a fake note. In some very high quality fake notes, the strip might glow, but the change in colour would not happen in the same.

(All the features mentioned above can be found in the recent notes that have been issued by the RBI. Some of them were not used by the RBI earlier, and might not be present in the notes. In case of any confusion, please contact your bank.)

Given the quality of fake notes that are in circulation these days, chances of getting a fake note from an ATM are real, but banks are in a state of complete denial. To avoid any losses, always check the notes that you get from an ATM and preserve the ATM slip. If you suspect that suspect that you have get a fake note, take it back to the branch of the concerned bank. Provide the details like time of the transaction, the amounts involved and the denominations. The bank may be able to trace the transaction.

Disclaimer –

Although the above points can help in telling a fake note from a genuine one, they are not fool proof. These days, the quality of fake notes is very good, and it can become very difficult for even experts to tell the difference, leave alone a layman. So, be careful, and whenever in doubt, contact your bank.