Fake Money

While researching on the internet recently I came across a very surprising statistic. About 18,000 people every month are typing the phrase "fake money" into the Google search engine! Surprising if not actually shocking. What are they looking for exactly? I know times are hard and many of us are feeling the pinch economically but are people really thinking "I'm losing my job at the end of the month, where can I get some fake money"? Or maybe, "I can't pay my bills this month, how do you make fake money"?

I would guess that the law of averages would probably tell us that there are indeed some folk thinking just that, after all it takes all sorts. But most people are sane, logical law abiding types, so again the question we ask ourselves is "just what are they searching for"?

In fact a bit more research tells us that yes indeedy, just over 8,000 people a month are typing into Google the words "How to make fake money". Another 2400 people are searching for "printable fake money", 1,900 people are typing "fake money template", a further 1,900 are asking "How to make fake money that looks real" and 1,500 and 1,300 respectively are trying to find "make fake money" and "print fake money".

This little bit of accidental research is proving quite fascinating, around 750 people a month are actually typing the question "how to make fake money at home". a few hundred more are looking for the answers to such questions as "making fake money" or "how to print fake money".

The best part of a thousand people a month are asking about fake money for sale, maybe they're technically challenged. 390 cheapskates are looking for "free printable fake money" Are they hoping to find a web page with a free template they can download and then print of as much cash as they need?

46 online searchers are looking for a "fake money generator", I wonder how they plan on paying for it? Do you think they're hoping to get it for a down payment and pay the balance in instalments with their freshly generated money?

Naturally there are many searches a month for questions about how to make fake prop money or fake money for kids, I'm sure we all had some sort of fake or "toy" money to play with when we were young and there must be theatre groups who occasionally have a need for fake money.

I have to admit I'm baffled by the people who are searching for "fake monopoly money", just as I can't begin to imagine how some other searchers plan to play the stock market with fake money, and what does anyone want with "fake money pictures"?

I just spotted a search for "fake Canadian money" but I'm going to resist the temptation to make any comment at all.

Years ago it was a highly skilled job being a counterfeiter or forger. If you wanted to print your own money you had to engrave printing plates and of course get access to a printing press, that didn't stop people from trying obviously.

These days with all the equipment you have in your home it's much easier, scanners can copy the money to your computer and then you can print it out. Yes you guessed it, it's not that easy. Sure you can copy a $5 bill, but you're printer will never be able to reproduce all the fine details in a real bill, that's why they are there.

Then of course the paper is a give away, money is actually printed on "paper" made from cotton and linen, and contains small coloured fibers, and no you can't buy it at staples. Real money is also printed with special inks and has other details to stop counterfeiting, such as special strips embedded in the bills.

You might not know this but everything you do on your computer or the internet can be found out by experts, just because you deleted it doesn't make it disappear. The only way to really remove evidence from your hard drive is to take a hammer to it. All your internet searches for ways to make fake money are stored on servers, just waiting to be found out. So be careful what you search for.

Seriously, if you're really desperate for money seek professional help, every town has someone who can give help and advice. Don't even think about trying to make your own money, the penalties are severe. If things are looking bad now, how bad will they look from the inside of a jail cell?