After the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the country's newly redesigned currency, counterfeit notes also started to circulate.
It's crucial to arm oneself with the knowledge necessary to tell a fake naira note from a legitimate one.
There are variations to watch out for in order to distinguish authentic Naira notes from counterfeit ones; this does not require academic knowledge.
You can tell real Naira notes from fake Naira notes by following these five easy guidelines.
1. Check the texture: If the texture of the Naira note is soft and the image in it appears dull, you have the right to be concerned, reject it and demand another one.
This means that you should be sensitive to the touch of the money you are given when involved in any transaction.
2. Observe the gold foil: The N1000 note has a gold foil on the right side, just near the CBN governor’s signature. If you scratch the gold foil of a fake note it will peel off instantly but the gold foil on the original note does not peel.
3. Use water or other liquid: You can differentiate fake currency from the original by using water or other liquid. Scammers release fake money and the colours they use in printing counterfeits are soluble in water and some other liquids.
If you are not certain about the originality of a Naira note, dip it in water or petrol and scrub it gently. The colours will change immediately if it is fake money. The colours of counterfeit money will wash off like an artwork painted with watercolour.
Again, the moment you immerse it in water, the paper becomes messed up. It will get rough and look more like a paper mache. However, the real note will not look like this when immersed in water or any liquid.
4. Examine the ribbon/thread: There is a thread which appears like a ribbon on all Naira notes, running from the top to the bottom.
In real notes, this thread can be felt with a touch. It is more noticeable on old Naira notes. However, in fake notes, there is something that looks like the thread but it is not.
In the counterfeit notes, what is there is just a straight-line painting that looks like the thread in the original notes. If you scratch the painting, it will peel off like the solver panel on recharge cards.
5. Use mercury bulbs: Some qualities of the paper Naira notes cannot be seen with the naked eye. These features are only in original Naira notes, and one cannot see them except with the help of mercury bulbs.
Link to information:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/12/just-in-cbn-releases-security-features-of-new-naira-notes/