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Counterfeit postal money orders are illegal and unfortunate, yet they are becoming very popular. You received a nice, big amount and soon you are going to cash it into your bank and be rich, right?
Not so fast! Before you cash that money order into your bank account, follow these five steps to determine if you have counterfeit money. If none of these steps apply to you, then you are very lucky, and all the best to you.

Step 1:
Check for an imagine watermark, on the left side of the bill. This image is of Benjamin Flanklin. If you are having trouble determining whether there is a watermark or not, turn on a light and hold the money order up to it, for easier viewing. If there is not a watermark showing, immediately discard the money order into the paper shredder. Do not, under any circumstance, cash it into your bank!

Step 2:
Check the texture of the money order. Determine whether it feels high quality to you, or if it feels flimbsy and cheap. If you cannot determine what high quality paper is, take it to your local print shop and let the experts determine this. This feature of quality is used for security measures. It is counterfeit money if it is not the high quality paper of real money orders.

Step 3:
Take a good look at the cost of the money order. This can be a clue as to whether it is counterfeit. For all domestic postages, the maximum amount in dollars is $1,000.00. For all international postage money orders, the limit is $700.00. If the cost exceeds these limits, it is a counterfeit money order.

Step 4:
Be out on the lookout for any discolorations near or around the dollar amounts. The numbers may have been attempted to be changed on the money order, and therefore, this would cause smudges, discolorations, or other damages.

Step 5:
Ever noticed there are bar codes on your items when you buy them in stores? Those codes are used for security purposes and for scanning the items you will be removing from the store. The same security feature is on money orders, so hold the money order up to the light, looking for a security thread. This thread will be in the form of a dark line and it will run from top to bottom, or bottom, up, depending on how you look at it. Examine this line to determine if it is repeated. If there's no thread, the money order is counterfeit, and you must shred this paper.

Step 6: (If you are still unsure, after following the 5 steps above)
Take the money order to your local police station and have them examine it for you. They have security staff there who would be willing to help you out. This is better than taking the chance and ending up with the bad news from your bank that you have a record of "trying to defraud the bank". They don't know that you didn't intentionally do this to them, so you may have to take it before a judge at court and get your life back. This has happened to me, and I hope it doesn't happen to you.

Make very wise choices.

Learn more about this author, Stacy Zahn.
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