My first fake money

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Wow, I better start checking the piles of 20s I have from hay customers. I got a 50 torn 3/4 across the center and a 20 that was torn in half and taped. I took them to a nearby bank to see if they would replace them thinking banks did this to damaged bills. Not my regular bank and the teller wouldn't take them.

 

[DoubleO7]

I got a 50 torn 3/4 across the center and a 20 that was torn in half and taped. I took them to a nearby bank to see if they would replace them thinking banks did this to damaged bills. Not my regular bank and the teller wouldn't take them.

Make a deposit with them.
The Federal Reserve says they are still good.
https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2019/october/what-to-do-with-ripped-damaged-money

 

[used red MN]

I will assume it is the 3rd one from the bottom lacking the gold embossing on the number 20 below right of the portrait. I think it is common knowledge but some guys on here do tend to take up residence under a rock. Paper US currency made within the last 20 years except for the $1 bills have “security strips” in them that run from to top to bottom. You can easily see them when held up to a reasonable light source. In the photo under my finger on the top of the bill you can see the strip. The security strip when illuminated by a black light will glow a different color depending on the denomination. On the 5 & 10s I have they are about an inch to the right of the portrait. On the one 20 (had to go to my wife to get a 20!) it was about an inch from the left side of the bill. Not sure if these are standard placement or not. I have seen it demonstrated that with a magnifying glass and a good tweezers they can be pulled out. Here is a link to a secret service page with more tips on spotting counterfeit currency.
###Looks like you will have to investigate your own bills, it seems the software rejects a photo of currency.
Know your money

Let’s see if the planets are aligned properly now to post the picture. In worked on the test forum. As stated in my reply above real currency larger than $1 have security strips in them. It can be seen just below my finger when looked at in the light.

 

[jimg.allentown]

Your bag of pennies would be worth their weight in whatever metal they are made of these days, like your own I don't think there is much if any copper in them anymore Jim. Or their monetary value I guess like one cent per penny. I think they will still cash them in for you. Not sure how our government is in a better spot now than ever to track our income and expenditures. You'll have to explain that to me.

When we use what I call "invisible money," meaning credit./debit cards or other forms of electronic payments, we leave an electronic and traceable trail. As opposed to cash, which is totally anonymous and much harder to trace.
Every financial institution that deals with paying or receiving of payment has records of who bought an item, how much they paid, whether tax was collected, and the list goes on. Every time you present your mastercard, visa, Amex, Discover or whaever card you use, there is a record of that transaction that can be examined by the government.
On a lighter note, we are just little fish, and I doubt if anybody in goverment cares a fig to look at our financial records. We just aren't important enough.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I got paid in 20s for a job I did earlier this week. Just took the cash and didn’t really look at it. Last night, I was putting it away and spotted a funny 20. Guy who gave it to me would not have slipped it to me on purpose, so he musta unknowingly got it from someone else. I guess I’m out 20 bucks.

Legally not counterfeit because it's clearly marked, but if you know how to contact whoever gave it to you, I'd give them the chance to make good. If it was an anonymous cash deal, then yeah you're out the $20.