Traders become savvy over fake banknotes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Circulation of a large number of fake banknotes
\nin the markets here has forced traders to teach themselves to
\nrecognize the bogus notes.<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately on Monday, some reported that they had
\nbeen cheated with fake rupiah since last year.<\/p>\n
But the experience, they said, has led them to become \"expert\"
\nat recognizing phony notes.<\/p>\n
Senjaya, who runs a restaurant in Cikini, Central Jakarta,
\nrecalled receiving a fake Rp 20,000 banknote from a customer.<\/p>\n
Instead of reporting the case to the police which might have
\ngiven him another problem, Senjaya simply tore the \"money\" and
\ndecided to forget about it, but vowed to learn from the
\nunpleasant experience.<\/p>\n
\"Of course I suffered a financial loss, but I didn't dare to
\nuse the (fake) money again for fear of becoming involved in a
\ncriminal case.<\/p>\n
So, I destroyed the fake money,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Senjaya, his restaurant, which offers a wide
\nrange of local and Chinese food, has received more fake banknotes
\nlately compared to last year.<\/p>\n
The latest instance occurred last week when a female customer
\ngave Senjaya a Rp 50,000 banknote that he recognized as fake.<\/p>\n
\"I returned the bogus money. I know that she had no idea about
\nthe money. She was just a victim,\" he said. He believes that none
\nof his customers really intend to cheat him.<\/p>\n
Besides his skill, self-taught after the last year's
\nexperience, Senjaya also purchased a detector to help him
\nrecognize fake banknotes.<\/p>\n
The use of detectors also has become common for shop owners at
\nWest Jakarta's Mangga Dua shopping complexes, one of the city's
\nbusiest shopping areas.<\/p>\n
Tansil, who owns a stationery shop, said the confiscation of
\nbillions of fake rupiahs by the Jakarta Police last week
\nconvinced him and other Mangga Dua traders to use the bogus money
\ndetector.<\/p>\n
\"I heard from some bank employees that sometimes the fake
\nmoney can't even be detected by the machine.<\/p>\n
But I still need it, because it is the first step in detecting
\nfake money,\" Tansil said.<\/p>\n
He firmly believes, however, that the most effective way to
\nrecognize phony notes is through experience and skill.<\/p>\n
\"I think those who often count cash money can be trained to
\nnaturally detect fake ones,\" he said.<\/p>\n
What Tansil said is true, at least for a newspaper boy named
\nErman.<\/p>\n
The 15 years old teenager said he is very worried that he will
\nbe paid with fake banknotes. Every single rupiah is important for
\na street vendor like him.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he rubs every note he receives from customers.<\/p>\n
\"I first wet my fingers with saliva and then rub the cash. The
\ncolor of fake bills will be faded,\" Tansil said.<\/p>\n
He said he was among the lucky newspaper boys that have yet to
\nreceive phony banknotes from customers.<\/p>\n
According to experienced staff at money changer kiosks and
\nbanks, the fake money usually has a waxier touch, is slightly
\nsmaller than the genuine ones, and the color can be easily faded.<\/p>\n
The use of detector machines is helpful, although in several
\ncases the tools could not detect the fake bills.<\/p>\n
But small traders like Maman, who runs a newspaper stall at
\nKota railway station in West Jakarta, do not have the resources
\nto buy such gadgets for their small businesses.<\/p>\n
They must rely on their skill.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, selling detector machines has become good business
\nfor some.<\/p>\n
A shop attendant at ITC Mangga Dua shopping center, Iis, said
\nthat her shop sold an average of five detectors per day with
\nprices varying from Rp 75,000 to Rp 300,000.<\/p>\n
\"My boss always follows the news. When the story of fake money
\nappeared several times last year, he decided to stop selling
\nwater dispensers and start selling money detectors,\" she said.
\n(ind)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/traders-become-savvy-over-fake-banknotes-1447893297",
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