Counterfeiting Prevention

Overall, counterfeiting of U.S. currency remains extremely low. This is due primarily to the combination of improvements in the notes' security features as mentioned above, aggressive law enforcement, and educational efforts to inform the public about how to verify their currency. According to statistics, the amount of counterfeit U.S. currency worldwide is less than one percent of genuine U.S. currency in circulation.

Most recently, the government has detected a pattern of which counterfeiters bleach the ink off of the $5 bills, and then print counterfeit $100 bills on the paper. This is especially deceiving to the public because of the similar placement of security features on the bills. In response to this, the government has decided to redesign the $5 bill in an attempt to ensure that this problem does not continue into the future.

The best way the public can protect themselves from counterfeit currency is to know the different security features to look for in authentic U.S. currency. The government will continue their worldwide public education program to raise awareness of changes to the U.S. currency and help to protect our money.