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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,711 |
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Valued Member
United States
212 Posts |
I have no idea if this belongs in the numismatic crime section or not, so move it if necessary.
So my grandfather told me this story today. He is the municipal judge in our town, and he told me a thing about a preteen kid with a color scanner. Here's how it goes.
Ok so I don't really know when this took place, as he didn't really tell me.
There was this kid who's dad got a really nice computer and a really nice printer. He told his son that he could use it for like school projects and such, but not to be on it a lot. He scanned a $1 and as a joke, put his sisters boyfriend in place of washington's head. He gave some to his friends, but they didn't spend them. Then he decided to kick it up a notch and scan a 20. It worked, and he printed some (keep in mind that the printer will print on both sides of a paper)
He Then wanted to see if it was good enough to pass as legit. So he takes it to school and buys lunch with it. He gets away with it, but the kid behind him buys lunch with a 50, so he gets the fake note.
This unlucky kid decides to play golf. He goes to the golf club and plays the course. Sooner or later, he sees the secret service is coming for him, to the direct hole he was playing on. After some questioning, they trace it back directly to the kid who scanned the 20. He was charged with counterfeiting, but the charges were softened because he was a minor.
TL;DR some kid gets a color scanner and printer and counerfeits a $20 bill, later to be traced back after some kid uses it to play golf.
Cool story, right?
(Disclaimer: I didn't do this, someone else did)
Edited by NickelCollector
04/19/2015 10:35 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4911 Posts |
Awesome and cool story. Hey, did I ever tell anyone about the time my dad got a coining press?  Feel free to call me Will.
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Valued Member
United States
312 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5206 Posts |
Most cashiers only check $20, $50, and $100 bills with an pen.
IF YOUR WERE SO INCLINED AND NOT SOME 12 YEAR OLD WHO THOUGHT YOU COULD BEAT THE REAL HUSTLERS who have been in the game for the last 20 years you would stick to bleaching $1 bills and finding away to overprint the old green and black design $5 and $10 on the paper since they don't use the security strip.
Back int he 1980's you used to be able to pull the security strips out of $20's with a tweezers for fun.
No such luck with the later bills
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1080 Posts |
There's a pattern on modern currency that triggers software in printers and in software like Adobe photoshop that prevents them being scanned. Your dad's story is very likely true, just early 90s or earlier.
The pattern is called the EURion Constellation if you want to google it... fascinating
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
1078 Posts |
I feel it's kind of the gov't's fault for having notes with barely any visible security features (holographic patterns, colour-shifting images etc.) That way this can be prevented with obvious fakes. Sure it's wrong in the first place to counterfeit, but once it's easy enough things like this happen.
I can imagine the kid got a lot to explain afterwards.
Edited by X2an
04/20/2015 05:19 am
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Moderator
 United States
188187 Posts |
Interesting. The lesson here? You will get caught. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
623 Posts |
Don't know if relevant to the story but here goes : Back years ago when the fancy printers started to come out, the lower end of society (drug addicts, thieves) would photo copy the bills and call the drug dealer always late at night. Pass the bills to the dealers (usually in a dark back alley).
They would get the dope and sell some, keep some,have some real money then.
Not always good for their health though when the dealers came looking for them.
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Moderator
United States
188187 Posts |
Quote:
Not always good for their health though when the dealers came looking for them. Like the drugs were any better.  |
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,711 |
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Posted 04/19/2015 9:42 pm
