The online update section of the MRI Bankers’ Guide to Foreign Currency provided a link on Feb. 3 to an article titled “The Chinese, the Korean, the Turkish and Others: The 6 Fake Dollars You Have to Watch Out For,” is from a Spanish language publication in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Iprofesional.

The impetus for the story is the inflation in Argentina that is leading people to look for dollars on the black market — a perfect situation for exploitation by fraudsters who run the gamut from amateur to sophisticated.

The first type is the reprinted $100 bill. Upcycled from authentic U.S. currency, using the paper substrate, these have been washed and reprinted. All have serial number E05201634A, and although the reprinted portrait, of Benjamin Franklin, would be correct for a $100 note, the watermark is of Abraham Lincoln, from the $5 notes.

Type 2 consists of notes with, again, repeating serial numbers. They are in three denominations: $20 bills have the number EL32271341H; $50 bills, ID65114276A; and $100 bills, PF03229158T.

The third type are the fairly obvious Chinese $100 bills, on which Chinese characters are printed on both sides in red or pink, and although they have a facsimile blue stripe, they are missing other security devices. These are supposed to be training money for Chinese bank tellers, but they have found a second life in America.

“Turkish” dollars are the fourth category. These $100 notes have the Turkish word GECERSIZDIR printed on both sides. The English translation is “invalid” or “non-negotiable.” These have also been reported on the last few years in parts of the United States, particularly the Midwest.

The fifth type are “Warsaw” $100 bills, not because they were made in Poland, but because they were first discovered in Warsaw, Indiana. They are similar to the first type in that, while the portrait is of Franklin, the watermark is of Alexander Hamilton from the $10 note. Also, the serial number on each is DF45248991A, and the magnetic stripe is placed on the wrong side.

Finally listed are the ubiquitous North Korean “super dollars,” now said to also be produced elsewhere, and in denominations in addition to $100. The article claims that newer and more sophisticated versions are always being produced, with proper paper and sophisticated equipment. The best defense against them is vigilance in following recommendations on counterfeit detection. It is estimated that “super dollars” represent $3 of every $10,000 in circulation.

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