Counterfeit Notes

[Willy The Londoner]

Since I have been here I have lost count of the number of Counterfeit notes I have been given inhe past 6 months or so.

I have never had problem with 100 yuan notes as I only ever get these direct from the bank.

The biggest problem seems to be the 20 and 50 yuan notes.

The counterfeits get passed on by small shops and taxi mostly, and knowingly in most cases,and being foreigners we are prime targets.

I have in the past looked at forgeries and compared them to others and I have not been able to tell them apart - watermark looks the same etc.

But my Angel came back recently with a little keyring light which is in fact ultra violet.  And low and behold it shows up counterfeit notes very simply.

Get handed a 20 or 50 note by a shopkeeper or taxi driver and with the keyring in your hand it is so easy to flash it on and a fake will immediately show up.   They will check your notes when you hand them over in shops etc so check the ones you get back! - I do everytime now and in a couple of days the 2 yuan she spent on the keyring has been well paid for in detecting 1 x 50 and 2 x 20 notes that people have tried to pass onto me.  

Just tell you how it works.   Just left of centre on the Yuan Notes you will see a large figure denoting the value ie 1 5 10 20 50 100.  Shine the light over this figure and the UV light will bring up another identical figure. Simple.  

Willy

[Voiceroveip]

Yes tha's a good tip alright, I got one fake 50 last time ... although I got an explanation about how the detect them, they do feel a litte smoother.

Frank

[Scottish_Rob]

Its funny I heard that the Chinese can detect fakes by just touch alone...

He he I wish I had a forging machine right now...hehehe:icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:

[Martin]

ya...they were selling those key chain lights on the train.  Maybe I should have bought myself one.

[mustfocus]

I wouldn't mind getting one of those myself.  For 2Rmb, definitely a deal.

[jeffm]

Looks like I'll be buying one.  Thanks for the tip.

I was shown how to feel for it also.  The texture of the good ones are raised slightly, while the fakes are smooth.

[JimB]

Definitely thanks for the tip. I will have Gina pick one up for me.  She should have one anyway.

[Chet Sams]

If the light doesnt work. Heres a brief issue for it.

http://www.xian-travel.com/china-travel-guides/chinesemoney/

[ttwjr32]

Willy,
havent seen these in gz lately but will keep an
eye out for them.

if you see one before you come here pick me one
up and i will pay u for it

Ted

[shaun]

The two stores next to me are owned my Korean women.  They use the feel method.  They taught me and so far it as worked on American money.  Problem is I have never encountered a fake one so I do not know.

Willy, I used to have a ultra violet bill detecting machine for bills that used three different tests on it.  If the lights can be used on American money I would like to get some here.  PM me if you have info on it.

[rockycoon]

I gotta quit making them and change to a different printer....damn

[dude]

Thanks for the info...I have noticed all store clerk's examining our 100 yuan bills...luckily we haven't had this issue but I was quickly made aware of this problem as I asked my wife about it and she showed me what to look for on the bills!

[ttwjr32]

i have been lucky to not recieve one yet in all the years coming here
 unless i did and was able to just keep passing it along  lucky me

[Irishman]

You all should get your lady to show you this stuff. Sunny showed me how to detect a fake, there like about 10 different things to look for, i would never of imagined looking beyond the metallic strip in the notes.
Its quite interesting, i found a fake one in the change I got in a restaurant and Sunny got it replaced in no time flat when I showed it to her!

[Hecker]

You can tell the difference from a fake bill and real one just by touch. Just rub the right top side of Mao's head on the notes and if you can't feel the slight abrasion its a fake. It takes some time to know the feel but just practice with a real and fake bill and you will notice the slight difference. The watermark can be fake but the paper and press use to print the currency is totally different from a fake.