More counterfeit $20 bills are being passed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Police Commissioner Novelle Francis has some tips for how residents can tell the phony bills from the real ones.
According to the Insular Affairs Unit investigators on St. Croix, the counterfeit bills are computer generated. They are generally passed at bars and places where gambling is taking place. From there the bills are circulated into the community. The bills do not have the identifying features of authentic bills such as the color shifting ink, are more yellowish and do not have the texture of a real bill because they are made of plain paper.
Residents have to be more vigilant when accepting money as payment for services and have the knowledge to identify these bills when they receive them, police said.
Francis, Jr. asked the public to use a few simple tips to determine if the money they receive is legitimate.
• Look for shifting color on the bills. The color on the number on the lower right hand side of the bill is made with color shifting ink. If the color does not shift, the bill is not authentic.
• When you hold the bill up to the light you can see the face on the bill repeated as water mark in the unprinted space on the right side of the portrait. The watermark can be seen from both sides of the bill.
• You can also see the security thread when holding the bill up to the light. The security thread is a thin imbedded strip running from top to bottom on the face of the bill. In $10 and $50 bills the strip is located on the right of the portrait, and in the $5, $20, and $100 bill it’s just to the left of the portrait.
• If a bill is held up to an ultraviolet light each denomination glows a different color. A $5 bill glows blue, a $10 glows orange, a $20 glows green, a $50 glows yellow, and a $100 glows red – if they are the real thing.
• Finally, you can compare the feel and texture of the paper with other bills you know are authentic. Real bill feel like fabric, counterfeit bills feel more like paper.
“If you discover that a bill in your possession is counterfeit, turn it over to the police,” Francis said. “It’s felony to knowingly pass a counterfeit bill you received to someone else.”