Maui Police Warn of Counterfeit $50 Bills

• Real bills have tiny blue fibers embedded in the paper.
• The lines of the bill should be sharp and well-defined. Counterfeit money often appears “blurry”.
• Newer large denomination bills have a plastic security strip that runs from the top to the bottom. When held to a light source, this strip should be easily visible.
• Newer large denomination bills will also have an ink that changes color. The ink will either appear green or copper-colored, depending on the angle it is viewed at. Color changing ink is usually located on the lower right hand corner of the bill (portrait side).

Photo by Wendy Osher.

The department notes that offenders often times use authentic $1 bills, and re-print a larger denomination on it. This method will create a false positive when utilizing a counterfeit pen.

Individuals or businesses that encounter counterfeit money are asked to contact the Maui Police Department non-emergency number at (808) 244-6400, or if it is an emergency, call 9-1-1.