The Ultimate Counterfeiter Isn’t a Crook — He’s an Artist • Hacker News Board

Re: The Ultimate Counterfeiter Isn’t a Crook — He’s an Artist

#81

Post by vacri » Thu, Jul 05, 2012, 11:34 PM UTC

jstclair wrote: post #47

vacri wrote: post #33

In Australia, we've had polymer notes for 20 years, and counterfeiting is a thing of the past, to the point where I was puzzled as to why someone in the US was marking my $50 note during a purchase while visiting. Paper notes feel nice, but polymer lasts longer and are effectively counterfeit-proof. Prior to this, we had a woeful $100 note, which was black and white with a bit of subtle colour. Pretty, but a dumb ide…

US currency isn't printed on paper.

Our old $100 note wasn't either. It was the colour scheme that was the problem. Nevertheless, if it's still common to use a pen to determine fake notes, your technology is miles behind.

Re: The Ultimate Counterfeiter Isn’t a Crook — He’s an Artist

#82

Post by mmcconnell1618 » Fri, Jul 06, 2012, 7:11 PM UTC

its_so_on wrote: post #23

mmcconnell1618 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. In the article Kuhl had a legitimate buyer who backed out. The bills where printed and Kuhl needed a buyer. The police decided to become the buyer but the counterfeit bills had already been created and the artist would have found a buyer eventually.

The reason I added that EDIT is because I actually hadn't read that far down yet - I was just referring to his first counterfeiting gig when I first posted the comment: inline search the article for "Kuhl’s counterfeiting career had begun a decade earlier" and read from there. Of course you have no basis for your claim that he would have eventually found a buyer. This is a "manufactured criminal" and the police certa…

I said Kuhl would eventually find a buyer because there is a market for his work and he's sold in the past. It is reasonable to assume he would have sold the bills he made.

Regardless, since just printing the counterfeit notes is illegal he became a criminal by creating them, not by selling them to the police. The entrapment did not create the crime, Kuhl did.

Re: The Ultimate Counterfeiter Isn’t a Crook — He’s an Artist

#83

Post by xsmasher » Sat, Jul 07, 2012, 2:54 PM UTC

apendleton wrote: post #57

dr42 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds very fishy. Imaging and scaning software, along with printer drivers have built in currency detectors to prevent this.

Given that the poster said "not in the US," this seems plausible to me. The detectors probably detect dollars and Euro, and maybe a few other high-profile currencies like yen, UK pounds, etc. But do you really think Epson would bother including fingerprints for Lithuanian litas or whatever?

FYI, the notes only need to include the EURion constellation; the software doesn't need a database of currencies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

Still the litas seems to be unprotected, as you said.

Re: The Ultimate Counterfeiter Isn’t a Crook — He’s an Artist

#84

Post by parimm » Sun, Jul 08, 2012, 6:40 PM UTC

xsmasher wrote: post #83

apendleton wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given that the poster said "not in the US," this seems plausible to me. The detectors probably detect dollars and Euro, and maybe a few other high-profile currencies like yen, UK pounds, etc. But do you really think Epson would bother including fingerprints for Lithuanian litas or whatever?

FYI, the notes only need to include the EURion constellation; the software doesn't need a database of currencies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation Still the litas seems to be unprotected, as you said.

So in theory one could make a document un scanable by putting the EURion constellation in it?