About the Advanced Counterfeit deterrence Program
The ACD welcomes you to our site designed to educate the public and promote
cooperation with the federal government in its effort to deter the counterfeiting
of U.S. currency both here and abroad.
The Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence (ACD) program was established at the Departmental
Offices level of the U.S. Department of Treasury to monitor and communicate
counterfeit deterrence issues with the Secretary of the Treasury. The ACD acts
as liaison to the Secretary of the Treasury, reporting the combined findings
of Treasury's Departmental Offices, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, the U.S. Secret Service, and law enforcement agencies
worldwide.
The affordability and sophistication of scanners, color printers and copier
systems have attributed to increasing inkjet counterfeiting of United States
currency. The Treasury Department has initiated a program to maintain the integrity
of the nation’s currency and to encourage a program of continuous development
of innovative counterfeit deterrent technologies through cooperative efforts
with the digital imaging industry and foreign central banks. Counterfeiting
of banknotes is an international problem. To address counterfeiting issues
and emerging technologies which can be used to counterfeit currency, the ACD
has teamed together with expert representatives from the U.S. government, central
banks of foreign countries, international law enforcement agencies, and digital
imaging industry manufacturers to identify new technologies to aid in counterfeit
deterrence, and in authenticating genuine U.S. currency. This cooperative team
is dedicated to being alert to new technologies to combat counterfeiting, studying
and recommending those technologies which can be incorporated into currency
design series, and implementing decided upon technological solutions.
"Skilled" craftsman have long attempted to produce counterfeits
on sophisticated printing presses, and have placed primarily larger denominations
into circulation the world over. In recent years since the introduction of
digital imaging technologies, the "unskilled" counterfeiter - even
pranksters and students - have discovered the ability to use relatively inexpensive
equipment to counterfeit currency notes. These notes frequently have a brief
lifetime, but satisfy the immediate need - paying for gas with a bogus "Twenty" or
making small purchases with a note run printed at home with an accurate inkjet.
The ACD is taking a look at advanced digital imaging technologies and creating
solutions to deter counterfeiting by refining currency designs and security
features. Beginning in 2003, a newer, next generation currency design is being
introduced as the U.S. works to stay a step or two ahead of the counterfeiter.
ACD Goals
The ACD is dedicated to maintaining and ensuring the integrity of U.S. currency by exploring existing and emerging technologies to deter the counterfeiting of U.S. currency in the U.S. and worldwide. Its goals are:
- To provide information and make recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury on counterfeiting issues, anti-counterfeiting technologies and advanced digital printing technologies;
- To evaluate and recommend incorporation of advanced security features in the design of U.S. currency;
- To support the development and implementation of technical solutions to deter counterfeiting of U.S. currency;
- To create a cooperative working relationship with government and industry to identify technologies to deter counterfeiting;
- To provide information on the use and counterfeiting of United States currency abroad as mandated by Public Law 104-132, Section 807 (Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996);
- To promote international awareness of counterfeit-deterrence efforts through the internet on U.S. currency features, and Treasury's efforts to deter counterfeiting worldwide;
- To educate the public, and money-handlers, so they may detect, reject, and report suspected counterfeits;
- To provide the public with up-to-date information on the latest currency design series and the security features incorporated to combat counterfeiting.
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