While technology designed to meet our needs has undoubtedly made our work easier, its misuse has also increased significantly. Nowadays, this technology is even being utilized to manufacture counterfeit currency.

The latest instance comes from Gujarat, where a "high-tech" racket was recently busted. This gang was using AI tools to print counterfeit notes that looked indistinguishable from genuine ones, and they were circulating them freely in the market.

RBI Issues a Warning

Over the past few months, the number of cases involving counterfeit currency has surged significantly. Reports from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) itself reveal that fake ₹500 notes are currently in circulation within the market. Consequently, it has become crucial for the average citizen to be able to determine whether the currency in their pocket is genuine or merely a worthless piece of paper.

Therefore, in this article today, we will share with you several methods—endorsed by the government itself—that will enable you to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit currency notes.

Hold the Note Up to the Light

Watermark: To verify the authenticity of a note, hold the blank white area on the note up to a light source and look through it. When viewed in this manner, a genuine note will clearly display an image of Mahatma Gandhi along with the denomination of the note.

Security Thread: The shiny green strip (thread) running through the center of the note appears as a continuous line when held against the light. Examine this strip closely; if it bears the inscriptions "Bharat" (India) and "RBI," the note is genuine.

Tilt the Note

Color-Shifting Ink: The most distinctive feature of a genuine note is its color-shifting property. When you tilt the note slightly, the shiny strip running through its center will change color from green to blue.

Additionally, the serial number printed at the bottom right corner of the note also appears to change when the note is tilted.

Feel the Texture

The RBI has incorporated certain embossed (raised) features into genuine currency notes, enabling visually impaired individuals to identify them simply by touch. With the help of your fingertips, you can touch and feel the following features on a genuine banknote:

The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi
The Ashoka Pillar emblem is located on the left side
The five slanted lines embossed along the edges of the note
The Governor's signature and the RBI's Promise Clause

Observe Closely or Use a Lens
To identify a genuine banknote, the words 'Bharat' (in Hindi) and 'India' are inscribed in very fine lettering between the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and the vertical border strip. You can read this clearly by observing closely or by using a magnifying glass.

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