Society

Fake $100 notes found in Tokyo

Oct 29 (NHK) - Dozens of fake US 100-dollar bank notes have been discovered in Tokyo, prompting authorities to investigate.

Sources say the fake notes were found at 4 facilities that handle currency exchanges in Tokyo earlier this month.

Employees realized slight differences in texture and asked a private institute specializing in detecting counterfeit money to conduct an examination.

The institute says several dozens of forged notes have been found so far.

The notes appear nearly identical to real ones at a glance. However, experts say the blue ribbon in the center looks slightly different and that a design on the lower right-hand side turns yellowish green when placed in ultraviolet light.

Foreign currency shops use machines to check authenticity of the notes they handle by measuring magnetic levels in dyes used on them. But the forged bills go through some of the machines undetected.

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