Part IV: Financial Fraud · Chip, Cash & Ticket Fraud
Bleached Bill Fraud (Denomination Switching)
How it works
Sophisticated counterfeiters take genuine low-denomination bills ($1 or $5), chemically bleach them to remove the original printing while preserving the authentic paper, then reprint them as higher denominations ($100) using commercial printers. Because the paper itself is genuine U.S. currency paper, these fools many basic counterfeit detection methods: including the classic iodine-based counterfeit detection pen. The UV security strip in bleached bills will be in the wrong position for the printed denomination (e.g., a $5 bill’s strip in what appears to be a $100 bill), which is the key to detection.
Where it appears
Cage, table game buy-ins, anywhere that uses pen-based detection without UV verification
On the record
Dri Mark and other detection equipment manufacturers specifically identify casinos as prime targets for bleached bill fraud. The AGA recommends UV-equipped detection devices as standard equipment for all casino cash-handling positions.
Detection & preventionADVISORY
The paid halfHow a monitoring room catches bleached bill fraud (denomination switching), and what stops it recurring, written for the desk, not the reader.
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Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction: the method is described so it can be recognised.