Counterfeit money has been a problem for law enforcement officials since coins and printed paper first were used as currency.

Today, digital technology has made it easier for would-be counterfeiters to create realistic false dollars with relative ease, while the Treasury Department, the Secret Service and private businesses have to develop new ways to stay ahead of the technologies, and protect the nation’s currency against the kinds of damage counterfeiters can cause.

Counterfeiters aren’t only fought by the federal government. Local officials and private businesses also do what they can to detect and deter the creation of illegal money.

In 2001, the DeKalb Police Department took $2,800 of counterfeit money into evidence, said Lt. Jim Kayes of the DeKalb Police Department. Most of the recovered evidence was found by cashiers and turned over to police.

Methods of counterfeiting range from the most rudimentary color copies to the detailed and sophisticated re-creation of an actual U.S. Treasury Department printing plate by highly skilled artists.

The most common method of counterfeiting today comes from computers with imaging software and color printers, as well as color copiers.

Kayes said it is possible to make a bill that appears authentic with high-end copiers, but there are some detection methods and security measures included in the bills that even the best printers cannot copy.

The first step in protecting against counterfeiters is the serial number. Each U.S. bill has an individual number on it. If two bills ever have the same number, one of them is false.

Kayes said the $100 bill is the most often counterfeited bill in DeKalb. The $20 bill is found to be falsified most often nationally. The $20 bill is copied often because it is easier to pass a bill of lower denomination without heavy scrutiny.

Several companies have stepped up to offer businesses machines that can detect a bill’s magnetic signature, watermark, ultraviolet signature and other characteristics that are difficult to falsify.

Even with all of the technology available, Kayes said the best way for law enforcement to track down a counterfeiter still is through a diligent clerk and the use of security cameras in a business. According to the Secret Service, most counterfeit bills can be recognized on sight simply by comparing a questionable note with another genuine note, while paying close attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics with the intention of finding differences, not similarities.

Kayes also said the counterfeit money appears to turn up in a cyclical pattern, as one or two people create false bills over a period of time and distribute them until they are caught or move on.

“If they keep it up, sooner or later, they’re going to get caught,” he said. “Counterfeiting is a paper crime. Paper crimes leave trails of evidence for police to follow.”

The businesses most at risk to be the initial recipients of illegal bills are not banks or other places that handle large amounts of money. Linda Peterson, a teller services manager for Resource Bank, said the bank’s tellers are trained to recognize false bills through a variety of methods, though she declined to specify what policies and methods are in use. As a result of increased security in banks across the nation, counterfeiters have begun looking elsewhere to pass their notes.

The places most at risk are places that traditionally are busy, such as convenience stores or taverns. These places are most at risk because not every cashier may have the time to closely scrutinize every bill, and sometimes even a large counterfeit bill could pass unnoticed, Kayes said.

The key in protecting against counterfeiting, he added, is simple scrutiny on the part of the recipient, and once a suspect bill is found, the recipient should take note of the passer and contact the authorities. Star Poll