Dubai: Security measures to detect counterfeit currency are being forced to go hi-tech to keep pace with counterfeiters who are becoming more ingenious by the day.
Counterfeiting cases reported last year involved banknotes that were almost mirror copies of genuine ones, a senior forensic expert said.
Aqil Al Najjar, head of the questioned documents section at the Dubai Police forensic criminology department, said that in a few cases shopowners and cashiers failed to spot counterfeit notes even with ultra-violet equipment.
The most commonly counterfeited notes examined by the department are the US dollar and Indian rupee. According to Al Najjar, in one case even an ATM machine equipped with hi-tech security failed to spot a counterfeit banknote.
"But if you closely examine the note it is not difficult to notice the difference," Al Najjar said.
Latest case
Last week the department examined 16 fake UAE dirham notes totalling Dh2,000. Several taxi drivers of the same company had collected the fake notes from passengers. They could not tell the difference. This happened within just a couple of days.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Arif Mohammad Al Falasi, Director of the Al Qusais Police Station, the fake notes were presented by Dubai Taxi recently for investigation.
"It is difficult to trace the suspects in these cases as taxi drivers deal with many passengers during their hours of duty. We are informing companies to continuously provide training sessions for their employees," he said.
"In these cases, I don't think the taxi drivers were involved in the counterfeit operation," Al Falasi said.
In this particular case, there were 13 fake Dh100 notes, two Dh200 notes, and one Dh500 note.
According to Al Najjar, there has been an increase in counterfeit currency. At the beginning of November there were 166 cases.
A spokesperson for the Dubai Taxi Corporation did not confirm this incident but said they had very few cases last year. "Our taxi drivers are exceptionally well-trained on how to distinguish a genuine note from a forged one before going into the field," Abdul Aziz Malek, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation, said.
Taxi drivers are required to provide their daily receipts to the cashier who in turn examines the notes. If a forged note is spotted, the taxi driver is obligated to pay the amount of the note.
For example, if the forgery is a Dh200 note, the driver is required to pay the company Dh200.
However, in cases where the forgery is sophisticated and not easily detectable, the driver is exempt from paying.
"We take strict measures to ensure that taxi drivers are not involved in any counterfeit operation. The training they undergo is sufficient to help them detect forged notes," Malek said. "As soon as the forged note is detected by the cashier or any of the supervisors, we immediately contact the police. The police investigate the matter with the taxi drivers."
Security features
Banknotes carry security features in terms of the hologram, watermark, print quality, quality of the paper and raised print, and the fluorescent colours visible under ultraviolet light.
Previously counterfeiters managed to forge only the visible security marks, but now "they are able to forge the fluorescent colourings that are usually visible under ultraviolet light," Al Najjar said. When stores examine the note using an ultraviolet light and see the colouring, they immediately assume it is genuine.
However, a factor to consider is that the paper of a forged banknote stands out when exposed to ultraviolet light as opposed to a genuine one.
A genuine banknote's paper looks entirely dull except for the areas covered with different fluorescent colouring. The latest cases of counterfeiting show that these two security features have been added to the forged notes.
Precautions: Banknote checklist
- Check the paper and raised print: Banknotes are printed on special paper that gives them their unique feel.
- Check the metallic thread: If you hold the note up to the light, the metallic thread appears as a continuous dark line.
- Check the watermark.
- Check the print quality: The printed colours and lines on banknotes are sharp, clear, and free from smudges.
- Check the hologram.
- Check with ultraviolet light: Under UV light, its value appears in bright red, golden, and green light while the background is dull.
Have you ever come across fake currency? If yes, where was it? Did you report it to the authorities?
