Unfortunately, counterfeit money is relatively common in Argentina. The most common places to receive fake bills are taxis and night clubs or bars. It is unlikely that an ATM, hotel, restaurant or store front of any kind will pass on counterfeit bills.
The most common place to be handed a fake bill is in a taxi. This is largely because riders are often in a rush, have difficulties communicating, or because at nighttime it’s difficult to inspect currency effectively. Try to avoid this situation entirely by using a bill that is close to the total fare. Taxi drivers do not like to break big bills, so they will be happy to see payment that requires minimum change.
*LPBA Tip: When withdrawing money from an ATM, request amounts that end in 80 or 90 in order to get smaller bills (example: $290 or $380)
The bill “switcheroo” technique has also become the common scam. The passenger will hand the driver a $50 or a $100 to pay the cab fare. The driver quickly switches the bill with a counterfeit and hands it back to the passenger claiming it is fake (or in some cases they will switch it with a smaller bill and suggest that you made an error EX: You give a 50, they show you a 5 and suggest you are mistaken and you attempted to pay with a 5 instead of a 50).
*LPBA Tip: To avoid this scam bend a corner or mark the bill you have before paying. Alternatively pay close attention, lean forward and watch the transaction. Either preventive technique should help you steer clear.
To learn more about the more common taxi scams in Buenos Aires.
Bars and night clubs have low lighting and are full of buzzed clientele. The unsuspecting drinker can easily be passed fake bills as change if they are not paying attention. Be aware of all transactions in this city.
Please keep in mind that everyone in Buenos Aires is not out to get you. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil the reputations of cab drivers and nightclubs/bars. Simply paying attention and using good judgment will keep you out of harm’s way in Buenos Aires.
How to spot a fake:
Look for the obvious:
-Poor printing and faded colors
-A cheap feeling print paper
-50’s and 100’s have a thin strip of shiny, metallic plastic (Security Thread) that is often poorly imitated. It should weave in and out of the bill material
-Water mark of face is seen easily without light behind the bill
Real deal bills will have:
-Slightly raised ink on the actual numbers in the corners and where it states the amount ie: “Diez Pesos” “100″
-Clean crisp printing and colors
-The green printed numbers will have a glittery shine on most bills
-Water mark of the face that is not easily seen without light behind it
Check out the below examples of real and fake Argentine currency.
Updated April 17, 2012
8 Comments for Buenos Aires Basics: Counterfeit Money
A few times I also read off the last 5 numbers of the serial number of the large bill to the cab driver. It insults honest cabbies but I have never been handed a counterfeit.
Guys- Thank you for this article! The images of the fake and real bills are really helpful! @Bill, it really is tough b/c you don't want to insult the honest taxi drivers, but you don't want fake change either! Too bad a couple of bad apple taxis are spoiling the bunch.
I saw a fake 100 the other day, and compared it to a real one. When looking at the watermark in the light, the real bill will have a very detailed watermark portrait (in depth), while the fake will merely be just an outline. Also good to have a mini flashlight while in a cab to check bills as well.
Fred
http://www.silverstarcar.com
I think that soon people will refuse paper money and switch to electronic money and it's more cheaper that paper money.
There we see how much we need to care that the notes are not a fake.
Just before the crisis, my wife got a counterfeit bill out of the ATM. At that time, it was $100 USD. When went and told a police officer, she was told to pass it off at a kiosko run by some old man who wouldn’t know the difference.
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