TBAS cautions against fake $100 bills

The Territorial Bank of Amerika Samoa has issued a stern warning over counterfeit bills seen on island in the past two weeks.

Over the weekend, a press release from the bank president David A. Buehler said four counterfeit $100 bills had been received within the past two weeks.

Buehler said such incidents have been exceedingly rare.

In light of this situation, they urge individuals and businesses to exercise caution and thoroughly inspect their currency upon receipt and before departing from the source of the transaction.

Also, many businesses protect themselves with a counterfeit banknote detection pen that is used to apply an iodine-based ink to banknotes to determine their authenticity.

The ink reacts with starch in wood-based paper to create a black or blue mark, but the article in a genuine bill contains no starch, so the pen mark remains unchanged.