Counterfeit money getting harder to trace: Official

JAKARTA (JP): As the technology for printing valuable papers is no longer the monopoly of the state money printing company Perum Peruri, people will find it difficult to tell whether their money is original or counterfeit, businesspeople in the finance sector said on Friday.

"Even ultraviolet lamps, which are widely used by people, are no longer effective in detecting fake money because some the paper used for counterfeit money can hardly be differentiated from the genuine paper.

"In some cases, the appearance of fake money is the same as genuine money, even when it is examined under an ultraviolet lamp," said Sugiman, a senior cashier at PT Ayumas money changer in Central Jakarta.

He said that in the past, a fake banknote would appear brighter than a genuine one when it was examined under an ultraviolet lamp.

"I think criminals now use paper which is almost the same as the genuine paper," Sugiman, who has been working as a cashier for 19 years, said.

Because ultraviolet lamps are no longer effective in detecting fake money, Sugiman said the average person would find it increasingly difficult to detect counterfeit money.

"Even bank or money changer employees will need special training on fake money identification methods," he said.

Former bank employee Lianni Yusuf said fake money usually had a waxier feel to it than authentic banknotes.

Lianni, who worked as a teller for nine years, said in some cases fake notes were smaller than genuine ones and the color could fade.

She said fake money could sometimes be among banknotes distributed by Bank Indonesia.

"That's why it is not surprising to find fake money in automatic teller machines (ATMs)," she said.

Lianni suggested that people ask bank security guards to observe them withdrawing money from ATMs.

"I have always asked a security guard to accompany me into an ATM booth whenever I withdraw money," she said.

Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Indah Suksmaningsih, said the presence of counterfeit money in ATMs made it apparent that cases of fake money had reached an alarming level.

"It is such a case which is very difficult to prove. Customers, who are the real victims, will be in a weak position," she said, adding that YLKI had started receiving complaints on fake money obtained from ATMs.

Indah said it was imperative that all related institutions, especially banks, tightened their control mechanisms.

Bank Bali's corporate communication manager, Laksmi Oktovio Ascaria, said the bank had tightened controls in that employees, especially tellers, should have special training on detecting fake money.

"We are doing our best to avoid having any counterfeit money in our bank," she said.

Laksmi suggested that customers immediately report to security guards at ATMs if they obtain fake money from the machines and keep the transaction receipts.

"We will swap the (fake) money if it is proven," she said, but failed to elaborate on how people could prove it was the same money they received from an ATM.

A public relations officer at Bank Central Asia (BCA), identified only as Rizal, declined to say what measures his bank was taking to address the matter. (ind)