Bank Worker Reveals How to Spot a Counterfeit $100 Bill

Wondering whether a crispy new $100 bill you were given might be fake? There are several easy ways to tell whether your money is real or not.

One bank worker on TikTok, Larissa Wrat, highlighted some telltale signs in a viral video shared from her account @rissawrat. The clip, which has garnered a million views since it was posted on March 8, explains a few key features to differentiate genuine and fake currency, from security features to the texture of the bill.

The post comes as the U.S. Secret Service was reported to have seized $21.8 million in counterfeit currency in 2023.

The U.S. Federal Reserve advises: "The best way to determine whether a note is genuine is to rely on the security features, such as the watermark and security thread. Counterfeit detection pens are not always accurate and may give you false results."

The U.S. Currency Education Program government website provides further details on security features, such as the color-shifting numeral, the bell in the inkwell, and additional microprinting elements. These features are designed to help the public easily identify genuine currency.

How to Spot a Fake $100 Bill

Josh Amishav, the founder and CEO of Breachsense, a data breach detection firm, shared the following tips for spotting an authentic $100 bill, which are also highlighted on the U.S. Currency Education Program website.

• A real $100 bill has a security thread embedded vertically on the left-hand side of the portrait. "It should read 'USA 100' and glow pink under UV light," Amishav told Newsweek. The thread is visible from both the front and back of the note, says the U.S. Currency Education Program.
• Tilt the bill to see if the number 100 in the lower right corner changes from copper to green.
• Be sure that the blue ribbon on the front of the bill features images of bells and 100s that move when you tilt the bill. "When you tilt the note back and forth, the bells and 100s move from side to side. When you tilt the note from side to side, the bells and 100s move up and down. The 3-D Security Ribbon is woven into the paper, not printed on it," the U.S. Currency Education Program website explains.
• When holding the bill to the light, you should see a faint image of Benjamin Franklin on the right side of the portrait. This watermark can be spotted from the front and back of the note.
• "Look for small printed text in various locations, such as 'The United States of America' on Franklin's collar," Amishav said.

If you think you've received a counterfeit note, the Federal Reserve advises that those who live in the U.S. should immediately notify their local police.

"Try to remember the physical characteristics of the person who passed the suspect counterfeit, and if possible write down the person's license plate number and vehicle description," the central banking system says. "Store the suspect counterfeit apart from genuine currency and release it as soon as possible to law enforcement authorities."

Those living outside the country who want to report counterfeit currency should contact the U.S. Secret Service field office of their region.

In her viral TikTok video, Larissa Wrat says, "I work at a bank, and we just got a counterfeit $100 bill, and I wanted to show it to you guys. I'll show you a real one first."

Wrat begins by holding up an authentic $100 bill. She highlights several security features, starting with the distinctive blue security ribbon. "How you can tell it's real? This very smooth blue strip has a very distinct different texture," she says, pointing out the tactile differences.

"If you scratch on the shirt, there is a ribbed texture there that you can feel with your nail," she continued, emphasizing another tactile feature.

"And if you hold it up to the light, there are security features," she says, referring to the watermark and security thread that becomes visible.

Holding up a counterfeit bill, Wrat points out its flaws: "There are very many ways to tell whether a $100 is not real. [Held] up to the light, there is no security feature. On this blue strip—[it's] just paper. Take a scratch on the shirt—just paper."

She emphasizes the importance of printing quality, showing the differences in texture and clarity between the real and fake bills.

"These are both from 2017, and the printing quality is so different," she notes, holding the two bills side by side.

"Look at how there's a shadow underneath this printing," she says, pointing to the fake bill, "and then we go down here, and there is no shadow. It is very clean, very obvious," referring to the genuine note.

As the video ends, she jokes: "Ben is judging you for your poor printing quality on your counterfeit $1000 bill."

Newsweek reached out to the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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