Money marking questioned at CPTS

  • Published
  • By 39th Air Base Wing
  • Anonymous
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Question: I went to the Official Document Center and purchased two money orders and had to fill out a form with my information and each serial number for twenty $100 bills.

This is ridiculous. If you are using the marker system and this system shows that an individual is using legal tender, then why do we have to document the serial numbers?

If I receive a counterfeit bill, the likelihood of it being traced back to the 39th Comptroller Squadron is very strong. What are they doing up there to ensure that they are not giving us these counterfeit bills and why do I have to fill out this form every time I use a $100.

I though this was the U.S. Air Force. Let's be more proactive. 
My suggestions are enumerated:
1. If this problem is that prevalent, only issue $50 bills. 
2. Do a quality control check on all $100's when the 39th CPTS receives their cash flow (marker system).
3. As a consumer, I am going to require the cashier to do a quality control check via the marker system to ensure he/she does not issue me any counterfeit $100 bills before I accept the cash. If the 39th CPTS are doing their job this would not be an issue or a hassle. We already deal with many hassles here at the "Lik." Help alleviate some of them!

Response: I understand the $100 bills in question did not come from the 39th CPTS cashiers cage, but you raise a very good question. The problem with the current $100 bill is it's the one denomination that seems to be widely counterfeited and the hardest denomination to secure with the marker tests or any other means according to the Secret Service. 

The marker test is a first line of defense and in fact five bill that passed the marker test actually turned out to be counterfeits. Our cashier's cage does not issue $100 bills, but ATMs off base may do so. In the event that you get a $100 bill from other sources, serial number documentation is the best way to assist with follow-on investigations and is actually required by the  Bank of America for $100 bill currency processing. Thanks for the insight ... for me the choice is easy ... stick to lower denominations.