| The advancement of digital technology, with computer | | | | Secret Service and Colombian authorities have seized |
| scanning capability and high-resolution printers, has | | | | more than $150 million in forged bills and taken down |
| made production of large quantities of counterfeit | | | | operations that could have produced billions more. |
| currency relative child's play. Virtually anyone | | | | They had the help of "Mike," the first canine trained in |
| anywhere in the world can do it, and in a very short | | | | the sniffing out and detection of counterfeit currency. |
| time. But counterfeiting is one of the oldest crimes in | | | | Just as working dogs have been trained to smell a |
| history. The United States Secret Service was | | | | variety of items such as explosives, agricultural |
| established back in the 19th century at the end of the | | | | products, missing people - even cancer - there has |
| American Civil War as a remedy to the fact that | | | | been great success in teaching Mike and his canine |
| one-third to one-half of all the currency flooding the | | | | colleagues to detect many of the most commonly |
| nation's market was fake. | | | | produced counterfeit U.S. notes. With funding from the |
| Today in the 21st century, the Secret Service's role | | | | Secret Service, Colombian authorities established a |
| has expanded to include aggressively pursuing | | | | counterfeit detection canine program where teams of |
| American money counterfeiters and traffickers | | | | a dog and its handler underwent a 12-week training |
| internationally. The crime of currency counterfeiting is | | | | program. Since that time, the Secret Service has used |
| once again on the rise and poses a potentially serious | | | | canine detectives in the U.S. and throughout the world |
| threat not only to the nation's economy but world | | | | to combat the dishonest dollar. |
| economy as well. Fortunately, the Secret Service has | | | | If you don't have your own super sleuther-sniffer, or to |
| developed a new super-powerful weapon against | | | | find out about other anti-counterfeiting features, cool |
| counterfeit money manufacturers: the sense of smell. | | | | new U.S. currency designs, and fun money facts, visit |
| Well, perhaps it's safer to say that weapon really isn't | | | | the website of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and |
| all that new; in fact, it's long overlooked but now newly | | | | Printing. Or see the web page of the Treasury |
| appreciated. And most people (i.e., human beings) don't | | | | Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network |
| really have the capacity to sniff out forgeries, but it | | | | for more information on fighting other financial crimes, |
| should be no surprise to anyone that dogs can. | | | | including terrorism financing and money laundering. For |
| A report released jointly by the U.S. Secret Service, | | | | more information on U.S. policy, see Terrorist Financing. |
| the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve | | | | Also check out the handy and informative website |
| Board revealed that Colombia is one of the leading | | | | from the U.S. Secret Service with sections called How |
| countries in the production of U.S. "funny money" and is | | | | To Detect Counterfeit Money and Know Your Money |
| responsible for about 15 percent of all circulating fake | | | | to offer advice on how to guard against forgery |
| currency throughout the world. In fact, since 1998, the | | | | losses. |