Buy counterfeit cash

Conditions for Buying Counterfeit Cash

How to Get a Lawful Alternative

1. Decide what the money is for

Start with the intended use. If the notes will be spent, exchanged, or accepted as genuine, do not buy them: purchasing counterfeit US obligations with that intent can lead to a fine, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both^[1]. Knowingly possessing, importing, concealing, selling, or passing counterfeit currency with intent to defraud carries the same maximum prison term^[3]. Our checklist is simple: choose genuine cash for payment, clearly fictional stage money for performance, or a compliant reproduction for display.

2. Choose a legitimate place to buy

Use a lawful seller. In Seattle, obtain genuine currency from a bank or credit union, look for clearly fictional notes through a theatrical prop or costume supplier, or discuss a compliant display reproduction with a commercial print shop. Avoid sellers offering "undetectable," "1:1," or "spendable" notes, because those descriptions conflict with a lawful prop or display purpose. Before ordering, check the seller's business identity, Seattle or US contact details, written product specifications, total price in USD, and return terms.

3. Check the design before paying

Labels are not enough. A colour reproduction of US currency must be one-sided, either less than 75 per cent or more than 150 per cent of the original linear size, with image-making files and materials erased or destroyed after final use^[2]. Wording such as "prop money," "replica," or "for motion picture use only" does not replace those requirements^[2]. Ask the seller to confirm the size, one-sided design, and file-disposal process in writing; if it cannot, choose clearly fictional currency that does not reproduce a US obligation.

4. Confirm payment and delivery terms

Set the timetable before ordering. The supplied official sources give no standard delivery period, so we advise obtaining written dispatch and arrival dates from the Seattle supplier or online retailer rather than relying on vague claims such as "fast shipping." Record the item description, quantity, total price, delivery address, cancellation terms, and the date when you can raise a non-delivery complaint. Be cautious if a seller insists on cryptocurrency or a bank transfer, since the FTC identifies these as payment methods scammers favour because transactions are difficult to reverse^[4].

5. Inspect what arrives

Check the package immediately. For prop or display money, compare the delivered size, number of printed sides, wording, colour, and overall design with the seller's written specifications. If genuine cash is involved, an online photograph or camera detector cannot authenticate it conclusively because verification requires feeling, tilting, and viewing embedded features against light^[5]. For a current $100 note, check raised printing, the copper-to-green numeral, colour-shifting bell, woven 3-D security ribbon, watermark, and security thread^[6]; an older design alone does not make a note counterfeit^[7].

6. Stop if the notes appear counterfeit

Do not try to spend them. A note marked "Replica" or "For Motion Picture Use Only" may still be fake, so authentication should rely on the denomination's official security features^[8]. In Seattle, turn suspected counterfeit notes over to local police rather than returning them to circulation; counterfeit notes are not reimbursed, while genuine notes submitted for examination are returned^[9]. Since November 1, 2024, individuals have also been directed to contact their local Secret Service field office because electronic submissions through the USDollars website are no longer accepted^[10].