# So the Secret Service may be stopping by for a visit. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252 "2019-11-10T20:16:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/1 "2019-11-10T20:16:10Z")
A few months ago Lincoln (my friend) found several pieces of a hundred dollar bill. I sent them into the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). Well, they were from a counterfeit bill and have been turned over to the Secret Service for further investigation. Can’t catch a break sometimes. (I have 40 cents in my checking account until the third.)☹ How likely is it that the SS will visit me? I’m not worry… much.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/2 "2019-11-10T20:47:19Z")
How did he find several pieces of a $100 bill? The bill was ripped up and tossed away? How did you know to send them to the BEP? Myself, I would have taken the pieces to a bank and asked if there was enough there to give me back intact cash. But without knowing any other details, I would imagine if they did contact you, it would be just to ask about the circumstances. I wouldn’t worry about it. For a while after high school back in West Texas, I worked at a local chain of taco places, and we had a drive-through. I remember we had a list of serial numbers of counterfeit $20 bills. One night this regular-looking shlub drives through with his wife and small kid in the car and tries paying with a $20 whose serial number matched. The cashier/shift manager tried to tell the guy it was listed as counterfeit. The guy was so clearly refused that the cashier just told him oh never mind and took the bill. Never heard anything happening from the bank, but I was just a low-level peon. And the cashier/night manager was kind of a stoner who would have mentioned to everyone if he had ever been questioned about that. This reminded me of that. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/3 "2019-11-21T01:41:22Z")
Sorry, I forgot about this thread. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > How did he find several pieces of a $100 bill? The bill was ripped up and tossed away? More or less. > [@](#): > > How did you know to send them to the BEP? Myself, I would have taken the pieces to a bank and asked if there was enough there to give me back intact cash. I remembered hearing about BEP on the news sometime back and how they would replace damaged bills. You need at least 51% of the bill to get it replace, we had about 75%. I don’t think a bank will replace a bill with a chunk missing. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/4 "2019-11-21T01:58:14Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > You need at least 51% of the bill to get it replace, we had about 75%. I don’t think a bank will replace a bill with a chunk missing. They will [replace damaged currency](https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-replace-mutilated-us-currency-3321134) but not what is defined as mutilated currency. > [@](#): > > Damaged but not mutilated currency includes any bill that is CLEARLY more than one-half of the original bill and does not require any special examination or investigation to determine its value. > [@](#): > > The Bureau of Engraving and Printing considers mutilated money to be less than about 51% of the original bill or any bill so badly damaged that its value cannot be determined without special handling and examination. The mutilated currency has most often been damaged by fire, flooding, chemicals, explosions, animals or insects. Another very common source of damage to currency is fossilization or deterioration from being directly buried in soil for long periods of time. It sounds like what you had would have been replaceable at a bank…if it was actual legal tender. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/5 "2019-11-21T04:38:00Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > How likely is it that the SS will visit me? I’m not worry… much.😃 Not likely at all. Stores (such as mine) get them from time to time, and more often when there’s a lot of them in the area. In general, the bank catches them with their counting machines, they confiscate them and turn them over to the SS. I’ve never heard anything more of it beyond that. IIRC, I may have turned one or two over to the police, but again nothing. As long as they have no reason to assume I made them or was involved in circulating them and I don’t know which customer gave them to me…and even if I did, it’s unlikely they made them, they really don’t have any use for me, beyond general demographics (ie, where my place is located). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/6 "2019-11-21T17:19:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > … In general, the bank catches them with their counting machines, they confiscate them and turn them over to the SS. I’ve never heard anything more of it beyond that. Well, some banks. I was at my bank last month waiting in line. One customer (presumably a business owner) was depositing a lot of cash. The teller ran the money thru a machine and one got refused. The teller told the customer that the bill was no good and did she want it back. She agreed and took it back. No doubt to be passed along to some unfortunate person. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/7 "2019-11-21T20:34:28Z")
At a very busy checkout stand, I once refused a bill given to me as part of my change from a purchase. It was mangled and worn, but my biggest problem with the bill was the fact it was black and white! I told the checker immediately, “I don’t want THAT.” She said “Fine,” and put it back in the till. I guess some other poor sucker got stuck with it! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/8 "2019-11-21T21:04:03Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > (I have 40 cents in my checking account until the third.)☹ If I have learned anything from cop shows, it is that when the SS comes to question you, keep rubbing your tummy and say “Boy, I sure am hungry. Sure could use a Big Mac right about now…” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/9 "2019-11-21T21:22:04Z")
I got behind a youngish dude paying with a $20 bill. The clerk did the pen thing, held it up to the light. Told the guy it was counterfeit. He said “fine” and held his hand out. She said “no” and called someone by turning on her light. Boy, that guy got irate. I moved over to another lane. When I walked by they were telling him they were gonna call the police. Walmart don’t play. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-secret-service-may-be-stopping-by-for-a-visit/843252/10 "2019-11-21T21:24:28Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Well, some banks. I was at my bank last month waiting in line. One customer (presumably a business owner) was depositing a lot of cash. The teller ran the money thru a machine and one got refused. The teller told the customer that the bill was no good and did she want it back. She agreed and took it back. No doubt to be passed along to some unfortunate person. Was it actually a counterfeit bill or was there something else going on like it was foreign currency or an obviously fake bill that looks similar to our money or a coupon that got stuck in with the cash? I was under the impression that they can’t legally hand it back to you at that point. In fact, one of the times a teller caught a bill (and keep in mind I’m a business, I’m at the bank every single day, the tellers and I have all known each other for years) I asked if I could see it so I’d know what to look for. Nope. They let me look at it and showed me the problem, but they wouldn’t let me touch it. Having said that, when a customer hands us a bad bill, we typically just give it back to them. I know you’re not supposed to do that, buy people go from being totally fine to really, really angry when you tell them their money is fake. I’m not going to put my cashiers at risk over that. I typically ‘instruct’ the angry customer to run it over to a nearby bank or police station and ask them.