How to Identify Counterfeit UAE Dirhams

Dirham or AED (Emarati Dirham) is the official currency of the UAE. It is sub divided into 100 fills. Dirham is an ancient currency which was used extensively for trade and business. It has survived through the Ottoman Empire. 

History of AED

Dirham was the currency which the Persians adopted for trade and business. In the 7th century, the coin became an Islamic currency bearing a religious verse. 

UAE adopted UAE Dirham as its currency on 1973 May 19, replacing the Qatar Riyal. Before it, almost the entire Gulf region used the coin Gulf Rupee as a medium of exchange. Dirham is pegged to the US Dollar and is one of the most stable currencies in the world. 

What is counterfeiting?

Counterfeiting money or bank notes is known as making or distributing exact copies of the original cash without the government’s permission. One of the first methods of forgery to trick the recipient is counterfeiting or faking currency. Its creation and distribution are prohibited.

The adverse effect of counterfeiting on society is that real money loses its value. The market’s high money circulation drives the cost of products and food. The recipient of the funds never realises that the money is being faked and loses it all. Additionally, the recipient will suffer a penalty.

Numerous anti-counterfeiting measures are used nowadays to spot counterfeit money being produced. The originality of the currencies should constantly be verified. 

Fake Money 

Counterfeiting money remains a problem, with $147 million US Dollars circulating worldwide. Even though finance service providers have stepped into action, consumers do well in exercising vigilance. People get scared of reporting as they think they will get caught even if they have no intention to counterfeit. 

UAE Public prosecution warns people of life imprisonment and a fine of not less than DHS 2,00,000.

How to identify a fake AED?

We often do not check the bank notes we receive and end up losing the money. The Central Bank of the UAE issues the official currencies of the UAE. It also gives certain awareness and guidelines for identifying counterfeit notes. This blog is all about identifying a fake UAE currency.

Methods of finding counterfeit Dirhams.

• Holding to a light point: If AED is kept under ultraviolet light, the bank note should appear bright red, gold and green. You should also check for a metallic thread running down the notes. It is a broken line; it may be fake currency. 
• Look for the quality: Always look for the quality of the bank notes. Counterfeit notes will always be a bit thicker than the real note. So whenever you feel an unordinary thickness of the note, report it to the authority. 
• Look for the texture: Original currency does not have a smooth and embossing texture. The printing used is the intaglio printing method which is hard to copy. So fake currencies always have a smooth texture. 
• Examine the portrait: When analysing the bill, pay close attention to the design. You should observe that the picture on it appears “dull or fuzzy” if it is a fake. “In a genuine bill, the portrait and other designs are clearly defined and sharp.”
• Check for the watermarks: The watermark, a security feature that tells a phoney bill from a real one, is another element to be concerned with. To check for a watermark, hold the banknote up to a light. Depending on whether the watermark features a replica of the person whose photograph appears on the banknote, it is possible to tell whether a banknote is real or fake.
• Look for the colour-shifting pattern of the note: Tilt your currency to check for the different colour shades appearing. Some banknotes have a security feature that causes the colour to vary. A counterfeit banknote will not have this colour-changing feature.
• Security Thread: Look for the security thread, which runs from the top to the bottom of the bill and is either embedded in or threaded through the paper while holding the bill up to the light. It will be necessary to examine a specific embedded security thread using an ultraviolet light.

Epilogue

Falsifying money is against the law. All laws prohibit it. Everyone must be responsible for thoroughly inspecting the currency after getting it to prevent further issues. Remitforex is an online platform by Unimoni wherein you can send money to UAE from 360+ branches across India. We are the most trusted service provider approved by RBI. All the transactions are done in the safest and most secure method.