To stay ahead of counterfeiters, the United States government is continuing to issue U.S. paper money with enhanced designs and security features that are easy for you to check.

A new $5 dollar bill was issued on March 13, 2008. A new $100 dollar bill will follow. New $20 and $50 dollar bills were introduced in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and the new $10 dollar bill began circulating in 2006.

Counterfeiting has been kept at low levels through a combination of continuous improvements to U.S. currency, aggressive law enforcement and educating the public about how to detect a fake, so it is unlikely that you will receive a counterfeit bill. However, if you do receive a bogus bill, you will be out the money. You can’t exchange a counterfeit bill for a genuine one, and it is illegal to knowingly pass a counterfeit bill. It is important for the general public to know how to protect their hard-earned money to avoid getting stuck with a counterfeit bill. You can protect yourself against receiving a counterfeit bill by taking just a few minutes to view the links below to help familiarize yourself with the new features included in the redesigns of United States paper money.