Counterfeiters Clean Up by Bleaching US Currency

Online, July 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Bleaching is the newest tactic in money laundering, but the Counterfeit Detector System with ultraviolet light from DriMark Products exposes the hidden mark that even bleaching can't remove from authentic U.S. currency.

In a ploy to circumvent sophisticated new anti-counterfeiting technologies like embedded coding in U.S. paper money, counterfeiters are resorting to solvents that remove ink. Bleached $1 and $5 bills are then overprinted as counterfeit higher denomination bills, whose pedigree is undetectable to the human eye, without a special authenticating UV light.

DriMark Products Inc. combines an ultraviolet light with its market-leading anti-counterfeiting pen to help cashiers decipher good paper money from bad. The DriMark Counterfeit Detector System delivers a simple two-step check point that uncovers bleached money and prevents it from entering the cash drawer.

The pen uses a special ink to authenticate U.S. currency paper. Once a bill passes the paper test, the UV light in the pen cap is used to reveal the hidden security strip that identifies the correct denomination. If the exposed strip does not match the denomination on the face of the money, it is fraudulent.

"Counterfeiters are using every available means to overcome the layers of security designed into every authentic U.S. currency note. Bleaching is an inexpensive, accessible way to mask low-denomination bills as higher denomination notes. DriMark's simple, two-step test allows any cashier to protect the register from falsified paper money in seconds," said Cathy Williams-Owen, President & Chief Financial Officer of DriMark Products, Inc.

Counterfeit prevention expert Larry Goddard, a former Secret Service agent, said, "The DriMark Counterfeit Detector System is an excellent front-line defense and deterrent to prevent loss from counterfeit money. It is highly effective and highly recommended." The Secret Service is responsible for policing and preventing counterfeiting of U.S. currency.

About the DriMark Counterfeit Detector System
The DriMark Counterfeit Detector System features the original DriMark Counterfeit Detector Pen designed to help retail cashiers decipher between authentic U.S. currency notes and bogus bills. The upgraded system adds an ultraviolet light, for a two-step pen-and-light counterfeit detector test in one convenient, pocket-sized unit, enabling retail cashiers to easily authenticate U.S. currency at the point of sale.

When used on authentic money, the pen's specially formulated ink produces a light-colored mark; on counterfeit bills, it produces a dark mark. The UV light in the pen cap backs up the paper test by revealing the embedded security thread.

The DriMark system's powerful ultraviolet light will test several thousand bills. It comes with (3) button cell batteries and will fit any genuine DriMark Counterfeit Detector Pen. A simple detection guide and instructions are also included.

The DriMark Counterfeit Detector System is available at Office Depot and Staples. MSRP is $13.99. For more information, retailers can visit DriMark online at http://www.drimark.com/retail/items/counterfeit-detection-system.html.

"The DriMark Counterfeit Detector System is the only proven loss prevention tool that keeps bleached currency notes and other illegal paper money out of the cash drawer consistently and reliably," Ms. Williams-Owen said.

About DriMark
DriMark Products, Inc. created the retail market for counterfeit currency detection when it introduced the Counterfeit Money Detector Pen in 1991. DriMark is the leading manufacturer of highlighters and markers to the Promotional Products Industry, with the capability of producing over 2 million markers daily at its Port Washington, New York, headquarters. DriMark manufactures one-of-a-kind, patented products that cannot be found anywhere else. For more information, visit DriMark at www.drimark.com.
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