Watch CBS News

Tips To Avoid Counterfeit Money This Holiday Season

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- 'Tis the season for giving, and that might involve counterfeit money.

Christian Bolf, assistant special agent in charge at the Philadelphia Field office of the Secret Service, says counterfeits feel more like regular copy paper, because real money has cotton in it.

In addition, the federal government has many security features to guard against fakes, like holograms which are visible from both sides.

"Hold the bill up to the light, and there you can see the hologram on a five and up. The ones don't have a hologram. On the fives and up, they do. It's gonna have the same portrait as a hologram, for example, the five would be Lincoln, 10 would be Hamilton, and all the way up to Franklin on the hundred," said Bolf.

There's also a security thread on the bill, which will read USA FIVE on a five, over and over, USA TEN on a ten, and so on. Color-shifting ink has also been used on 20s, 50s, and 100s printed in 1996 or later.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.