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A Novel Digital Watermarking Method for Commercial Bills Based on V Systems

This paper appears in: Pervasive Computing and Applications, 2007. ICPCA 2007. 2nd International Conference on Date of Conference: 26-27 July 2007 Author(s): Xiaoyun Tie North China Univ. of Technol., Beijing Jiancheng Zou ; Wenqi Zhong On Page(s): 389 - 393 Product Type: Conference Publications

ABSTRACT
The based on the background of anti-counterfeit of commercial bills, a novel digital watermarking method is proposed in this paper. The watermarking algorithm is based on a class of orthogonal function systems-V systems. The experiment results show that the algorithm has better robust than the traditional watermark algorithm. Based on the property of uniformity of the corresponding Fibonacci transformation, the watermarking method has the following advantages: (1) encoding and decoding are very simple and they can be applied in real-time situations. (2) The algorithm can endure severe attacks such as extreme noise levels, very high loss in its data or data packets, or jpeg compression.

Parallel processing and scheduling techniques applied to the quality control of bill sheets
This paper appears in: Pattern Recognition, 1994. Vol. 3 - Conference C: Signal Processing, Proceedings of the 12th IAPR International Conference on Date of Conference: 9-13 Oct 1994 Author(s): Sebastian, J.M. Dept. Autom., Electron. e Inf. Ind., Univ. Politecnica de Madrid Torres, F. ; Reinoso, Q. ; Bello, J.L. ; Barroso, E. On Page(s): 399 - 403 vol.3 Product Type: Conference Publications

ABSTRACT
Automatic quality control examination of banknotes constitutes an important research challenge for the main printing organizations in the world. It is worth to note that presently there is no commercial product with an acceptable performance, in spite of the efforts spent during last ten years. The product complexity lies in the combination of several printings with the purpose of achieving hard to counterfeit banknotes. The printing system that is necessary for banknotes manufacturing, causes significant differences between several printed sheets in similar conditions. However, in spite of these differences, while respecting certain tolerances, the banknotes are accepted. The required quality of the product demands an exhaustive inspection of the billsheets. Nowadays the quality control is carried out by manual turn over of the bill sheet, reaching a speed of 400 sheets/hour. It has been developed a system that works out an automatic inspection at a rate of 3600 sheets/hour

A Novel Digital Watermarking Method for Commercial Bills Based on a Class of Orthogonal Functions
This paper appears in: Signal Processing and Information Technology, 2006 IEEE International Symposium on Date of Conference: Aug. 2006 Author(s): Jiancheng Zou Coll. of Sci., North China Univ. of Technol., Beijing Wenqi Zhong ; Rabab K. Ward On Page(s): 40 - 43 Product Type: Conference Publications

ABSTRACT
Based on a class of orthogonal functions, a novel digital watermarking method is proposed. This method can be used in the anti counterfeit of commercial bills. The experiment results show that the algorithm is more robust than the traditional watermark algorithm. Based on the property of uniformity of the corresponding Fibonacci transformation, the proposed watermarking method has the following advantages: (1) encoding and decoding are very simple and they can be applied in real-time situations, (2) the algorithm can endure severe attacks such as extreme noise levels, very high loss in its data or data packets, and JPEG compression

Counterfeit money detection by intrinsic fluorescence lifetime


This paper appears in: Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS), 2010 Conference on Date of Conference: 16-21 May 2010 Author(s): Levene, Michael J. Department of Biomedical Engieering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA Chia, Thomas On Page(s): 1 - 2 Product Type: Conference Publications

ABSTRACT
Genuine U.S. Federal Reserve Notes have a consistent, two-component intrinsic fluorescence lifetime. We used scanning two-photon laser excitation and the time-correlated single photon counting method to identify three different types of counterfeit U.S. paper money.

Design and implementation of a machine vision based but low cost stand alone system for real time counterfeit Bangladeshi bank notes detection
This paper appears in: Computer and information technology, 2007. iccit 2007. 10th international conference on Date of Conference: 27-29 Dec. 2007 Author(s): Yoshida, K. Visual Magic Corp. Ltd., Dhaka Kamruzzaman, M. ; Jewel, F.A. ; Sajal, R.F. On Page(s): 1 - 5 Product Type: Conference Publications

ABSTRACT
This paper presents the design of a machine vision based system for real time detection of the counterfeit Bangladeshi bank notes. The proposed system works with the denominations of five hundred and one hundred taka. This system relies on a specific feature of the both five hundred and one hundred taka. The relied feature is not possible to replicate for the counterfeit makers or producers. And there is no foreseeable likelihood that they would be capable to imitate this feature even within a pretty long time. The relied feature is the repeatedly printed ldquoBANGLADESHBANKrdquo on some portions of the notes using microprint technique. The proposed stand alone system captures the portions of the notes with a proprietary scanner called the Grid Scanner [1]. The captured image is then processed by a microcontroller PIC-16F648A or ATMega88 (AVR). The microcontroller then determines the validity of the note based on an OCR technique by looking for the characters dasiaBpsila, dasiaApsila and dasiaNpsila in the scanned image. The success-rate of the counterfeit detection with properly captured image is 100% and the average processing time is 250 milliseconds with above mentioned microcontroller.

Automatic Authentication of Banknotes


Ankush Roy, Biswaiit Halder, Utpal Garain and David Doermann

Philippine Coins and Banknotes Detect Fake 500 Peso Bills

At a glance, can you tell if the five-hundred peso banknote above is a fake? You can click the picture to see a larger view. There are many different ways to produce fake banknotes. Basic methods such as printing scanned images of authentic notes will produce counterfeits that are relatively easy to spot. Some groups, however, take counterfeiting seriously and produce copies that increasingly mimic the original. I recently got to borrow this counterfeit 500 peso bill. Upon inspection, I can guess that this particular fake was created with some serious investment in equipment and technique. I would say this is a professionally made counterfeit and probably represents one of the most sophisticated fakes in the Philippines. Nevertheless, these fakes are still no match against the original. Lets look at the different parts of this counterfeit money:

1. It might not be immediately noticed but this banknote has no serial numbers! However, other counterfeits made from scanned notes would usually have serial numbers. Most of the time, counterfeits made in one run would have identical serial numbers. 2. The iridescent vertical gold band on genuine notes only looks like a darkened area on the fake banknote. It does not glitter under the light. 3. You dont need to look very closely to notice the dirty appearance on Benigno Aquinos face. Because fake

banknotes have coarse details, the eyes are dark and dont look alive as they do in genuine notes.

4. The interwoven metallic strip is instead printed and does not shine under the light. The little numbers repeated along the thread are missing.

5. Genuine notes have a rough texture on most printed parts because of the raised prints. Surprisingly, this fake banknote also has a rough texture on some portions although not as pronounced as in genuine notes. On the other hand, the brown pattern on the upper-left hand corner is totally smooth while this is noticeably rough on genuine notes. 6. In several portions of the banknote, misaligned patterns appear, usually where two colors meet.

7. The microprints are unexpectedly readable but are coarsely printed.

8. The concealed number does not show when you tilt the banknote towards you at an angle. This might be because the print is not raised like in genuine banknotes. 9. Surprisingly, this fake banknote has a watermark when held against the light. Watermarks therefore are no longer good indicators of genuine notes. 10. There is no embedded metallic strip but a dark line appears where it should be when the banknote is held against the light. It appears to have been created using the same technique used to produce the watermark. On the other hand, the metallic strip on genuine notes is darker and can be felt when pinched. Finally, the fake bill does not smell like money. It smells like old paper. However, if it circulates for a while along with genuine notes, it might also take on the smell of real money. If you happen to encounter a banknote that you suspect to be counterfeit, report it to the authorities! These ones are not for collecting because mere possession of them is illegal.

http://philmoney.blogspot.com/2009/01/fake-500-peso-bill.html 4-23-2012

Is That Real? Identification and Assessment of the Counterfeiting Threat for U.S. Banknotes (2006) Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design (BMED)

Authors: Committee on Technologies to Deter Currency Counterfeiting, National Research Council


Authoring Organizations

Description: A key mission of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Department of the Treasury is the design and printing of U.S. banknotes. The BEP is responsible for producing easily recognizable currency that is difficult to counterfeit.

1 Background and Overview


One necessary attribute of a modern nation is its ability to sustain an economic system among its global partners. A vital aspect of any financial system is the means of settling financial transactions quickly and fairly. This aspect of statehood directly touches every citizen. In this context, the soundness of a countrys financial system is critically important to its citizens.

THE EVOLUTION OF MONEY


The use of money to facilitate financial transactions evolved during the early history of humankind. To alleviate the awkward nature of barter, primitive forms of money, such as shells and teeth, came to be used. Well before the invention of coins, societies engaged in banking and finance which reached a level of sophistication that can be compared to todays standards. The physical representation of money over the centuries remained important. As the level of technology advanced, various cast metal forms were used for money because of the value of the metal, but also because the forms were difficult to make and to reproduce. Coins eventually became the common form of money that was minted, and the expansion of the Persian, Roman, and Ottoman empires broadened the use of coins. Banknotes were introduced originally in China, and later in Europe. Whereas gold and silver coins held intrinsic value, these paper notes represented value held elsewhere.1 The transformation from paper currency to electronic forms of money is clearly the latest chapter in the saga of the evolution of money in terms of both monetary value and number of transactions. Indeed, one of the major developments of the past two decades has been the rise of electronic funds transfer and digital currency. Global financial and banking networks now constitute one of the pillars on which the global economy rests; the value of the transactions handled by these networks dwarfs the cash economies of the world.2 Despite the pervasive use of electronic money, however, the modern world is still far from being a cashless society. Regardless of their lack of intrinsic value, banknotes have proven to be ubiquitous and highly popular for a number of reasons:

Access. Many people do not have credit cards or checking accounts and only use cash transactions. Anonymity. Cash purchases preserve privacy and anonymity; many consider privacy one of the basic rights of a U.S. citizen. Convenience. Cash enables rapid, low-technology sales transactions. Such transactions can take place without access to machine authentication or even electricity. Acceptability. Banknotes can serve as a universally accepted medium of exchange. The U.S. banknote is well accepted throughout the world because people understand that it is backed by confidence in U.S. economic power; and, as a stable currency, it provides a measure of protection against inflation for people in countries with unstable currencies.

THE INEVITABILITY OF COUNTERFEITING


Counterfeiting has existed almost as long as there has been money. Counterfeit coins, for example, have always been an interesting aspect of history both in the study of numismatics and in the larger world of currency. Though counterfeiting is predominantly a criminal activity, it has also been used by a number of countries as a weapon of war. Today, counterfeiting is thought to be used by terrorists as one of the means to finance their operations. For many reasons then, nations have a strong obligation to protect the integrity of their banknotes against attempts to make illegal copies. The deterrence of counterfeiting is an important element of public policy that is required to maintain confidence in a nations currency both domestically and internationally. Because any original banknote can be duplicated, provided the materials, equipment, and expertise are accessible, responsible states endeavor to use materials and techniques that are not generally available and that present as many obstacles as possible to would-be counterfeiters. In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the U.S. Secret Service were established to combat pervasive counterfeiting during the Civil War. At that time, it was estimated that one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit. Today, counterfeit U.S. notes are estimated at less than a hundredth of 1 percent of the currency in circulation. According to the Department of the Treasury, the value of counterfeits in circulation is most likely around $70 million, or fewer than one in 10,000 notes, with about 60 percent of these held overseas. The upper bound is estimated to be about $170 million, or about 2.8 in 10,000 notes.3 For hundreds of years, counterfeiting required considerable artistic and technical skill, as well as substantial resources. Until recently, the primary counterfeiting threat arose from organized professional criminals and, in a few instances, from hostile states. These types of counterfeiters were relatively large enterprises that presented multiple opportunities for tracking by law enforcement. Because the production of realistic copies of a sophisticated banknote was quite an expensive proposition, the quality of the counterfeits oftentimes was not high, enabling the public to spot forgeries readily.

This scenario began to change during the 1980s with the advent of advanced reprographic systems and the accessibility of highly capable and inexpensive graphics software tools running on readily available workstations and desktop computers. Counterfeiting of this type is not intended to duplicate the processes used to make genuine banknotes, but instead simulates the result with much less expensive equipment. This type of counterfeiting no longer required artisans to engrave intaglio plates, nor did it require a large investment. Advances have put the technical means to counterfeit in the hands of ordinary people who, if they so choose, can manufacture a few counterfeits on an irregular basis with little fear of apprehension. At the request of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the National Research Council has undertaken several studies during the past 20 years to evaluate the emerging threat posed by advanced
3

U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2003. The Use and Counterfeiting of United States Currency Abroad, Part 2. The second report to the Congress by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence Steering Committee, pursuant to Section 807 of Public Law 104-132, p. 68. Available athttp://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/rptcongress/counterfeit2003.pdf. Accessed April 2006.

reprographic technology. Some general conclusions regarding the changing threat from three of the resulting reports are as follows:

The potential threat to the United States currency from modern reprographic technology is great, due primarily to the expected increase in availability of high-quality color copier and scanner-printer combinations during the next five years.4 A broadening of the counterfeiting base made possible by the availability of commercial reprographic equipment can pose an intractable enforcement problem and cause serious erosion of confidence in United States currency.5 Rapid developments in reprographic technology could give rise to an unacceptable level of counterfeiting activity by making high-quality reprographic systems widely available.6 The increased availability of advanced color copiers and systems composed of a computer-scanner and printer makes widespread counterfeiting of U.S. banknotes a real and substantial threat. Ready access and ease of use could lead to abuse by casual counterfeiters. Copiers certainly pose a significant threat, but the most important threat in the foreseeable future is color scanner-computer-printer systems, aided by the continuing evolution of moresophisticated image-processing software. These systems also provide additional opportunities for professional counterfeiters.7

These studies identified potential counterfeiting threats posed by technologies that primarily replicate the visual appearance of banknotes. Until recently, most casual counterfeiters have focused on reproducing the visual appearance of a banknote while using primitive methods to replicate other features, such as the banknotes tactile properties. However, emerging technology is being extended beyond the imagereproduction capability to the capacity for simulating or duplicating tactile and other nonvisual features. Also, new consumer products in crafting supplies, automotive touch-up paints, and nail polish are a few of the tools, along with new technologies, that can provide the counterfeiter with ways to replicate both the look and feel of the U.S. banknote. Counterfeit currency has impacts that can be considered on several levelsfiscal, personal, and psychological. While passing a counterfeit penny slug might be

considered harmless, an incontrovertible fact is that no one wants to receive a counterfeit banknote. Laws of the United States and of nearly every country prohibit the spending or possession of counterfeits and require the reporting of the receipt of a counterfeit banknote. Reported counterfeits always produce a direct monetary loss to those who receive them because the fake bills must be surrendered to authorities without compensation. With no compensation incentive, a pattern of complacency may have emerged, with many people and businesses willingly absorbing the monetary loss of the value of the counterfeit rather than taking the trouble to report it. Many would choose to avoid what could be an intrusive and time-consuming interaction with authorities. The potential awkwardness of reporting a genuine note as a fake is also present. For these reasons, it is conceivable that counterfeiting is currently an underreported crime in the United States. The counterfeiting threat is constantly evolving, and new participants, methods, and effects are emerging.8 Undoubtedly the greatest modern threat is the counterfeiting of electronic forms of money and
4 5 6

National Research Council. 1985. Advanced Reprographic Systems: Counterfeiting Threat Assessment and Deterrent Measures. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press. National Research Council, 1985. See note 4. National Research Council. 1987. Counterfeit Threats and Deterrent Measures. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press. National Research Council. 1993. Counterfeit Deterrent Features for the Next-Generation Currency Design. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. M. Naim. 2005. Illicit. New York: Doubleday.

its use for criminal purposes.9 While this is an urgent and strategic issue for modern law enforcement, it is not the focus of this report, which addresses the counterfeiting of physical currency, specifically, U.S. Federal Reserve notes (FRNs). An effective defense against counterfeiting requires an examination of technological advancements that can be employed by potential counterfeiters. It is clear that distributed, low-volume, casual counterfeiting poses a significant challenge to law enforcement. Indeed, much of the BEPs rationale for upgrading the security features in U.S. banknotes has been based in the countering of this threat. The resulting proactive analysis has significantly influenced the design changes and incorporation of additional security features in U.S. banknotes during the past 20 years. Educating the general public with respect to the new security elements used in the redesign of banknotes and encouraging the use of simple but relatively accurate authentication tests have also become more important.

THE NEED FOR A SYSTEMS APPROACH


A U.S. banknote is one of the most respected items in our culture, yet it can also be one of the most mistreated. No other item of such value is routinely folded, crumpled, soiled, laundered, and otherwise ill-treated throughout its useful life. To survive this challenge, U.S. banknotes must meet daunting physical requirements. They must be manufactured reliably in large quantities and must be durable over time. In addition,

their features must allow authentication, indicate their denomination, and deter their counterfeiting. Advances in reprographic technologies have driven the addition of specific counterfeit-deterrent features, which have been adopted without compromising current banknote recognition and respect.10 In the last decades of the 20th century, digital reprographyespecially color copiers, desktop computers, and color printersemerged as a serious counterfeiting threat. The ubiquitousness of home computers meant that casual computer users could now more easily make high-quality banknote simulations. It was this trend that led to the major redesign of U.S. banknotes. Since the mid-1980s, digital image-acquisition, image-processing, and image-printing technologies have grown steadily in their effect on FRN counterfeiting. Digitally produced counterfeits have increased from less than 1 percent in 1995 to roughly 40 percent today.11 The $1 bill was first issued as a Federal Reserve note in 1929, and its design has remained essentially unchanged since then. The $2 notes in use today were introduced in 1976, and their design has remained unchanged as well. The $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills were redesigned beginning in 1990 to include several new security features that vary depending on the denomination. Most notable among the features added to FRNs are the introduction of offset printing (of colors other than green and black), color-shifting ink, watermarks, and colored threads. (Appendix B describes these features.) These features have been added while retaining the characteristic, highly recognizable appearance of U.S. currency. However, it is becoming increasingly easy and common to acquire and process the digital two-dimensional image features that are meant to be observed in reflected light. The capabilities of the technology are quickly approaching the point at which such features will no longer produce a significant barrier even to casual counterfeiting. These developments make necessary a regular assessment of the current state and near-term outlook for these technologies and of the threats that they may pose in terms of providing capabilities for creating
9 10

11

B. Grow. 2006. Gold rush. Business Week 3966:68-69. The process began with the New Currency Design Task Force, which comprised representatives of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve System, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The Task Force made its recommendations to the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence Steering Committee, also composed of representatives of the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, Secret Service, and BEP. On the basis of Counterfeit Deterrent Features for the Next-Generation Currency Design, a comprehensive study by the National Research Council (NRC) issued in 1993, the Steering Committee then made recommendations for the new design and security features to the Secretary of the Treasury, who has the statutory authority to approve such changes. L. Pagano, U.S. Secret Service. 2005. Presentation to this committee, May 24.

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11638&page=9 4-23-12

Fake money and Fake Coupons by PKWYNN on FEBRUARY 6, 2011 At our store, we receive memos of potential scams that have been circulating our grocery chains. Usually its a check scam or gift card scam. All grocery cashiers are trained to look for any imperfections such as counterfeit $50 and $100 bills, fake watermarks on a checks and fake coupons.

Lately things have turned for the worst. Counterfeiters are printing fake $1, $5, and $10 bills as they are less likely to be detected. Our counterfeit pens no longer work on the bills because they use hair spray on the fake bills in which it passes the pen test. They even photoshopped coupons to look so real you cant help but accept them. It seems as if people are doing whatever it takes to get over and its becoming more common in the retail grocery business. Grocery cashiers not only scan groceries but were now scanning almost every bill that comes through our checkstands. Its sad because our job now depends on it. So if your grocery clerk is holding your money towards the light to look for the little strip in the bill or taking extra time to examine it, please dont take it personal. http://mostlygrocery.com/2011/02/06/fake-money-fake-coupons/comment-page-1/ 4-23-12

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