The Frank Bourassa story is pretty incredible. There’s a TV series but I recommend listening to his interviews. I think NPR has one that is pretty good. The level of planning, logistics and craft the guy put into his illegal money printing shop is admirable. Extremely intelligent and driven person. He could have succeeded in any other legal business if wanted to, but looks like it would not be the same thrill for him. His counterfeit US bills were so good that allegedly some of it is still in circulation with silent approval of the US government.
The One Dollar Counterfeiter
81–90 of 152 posts
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
The state reserves some of the harshest punishments for counterfeiters, since large scale counterfeit operations is one of the few crimes that is an attack on the state itself. The US secret service was originally created specifically to combat counterfeit money, it's no surprise that they would keep tracking this man for a decade. This man is unusual because he did the tiniest amount of one the most severely punishe…
Also a fascinating read: The Nazi counterfeiting operation, intended to devalue the Pound and crash the British economy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bernhard
north korea has been doing it against the US for decades. they are better at printing our currency than we are.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#83> 10 years went by and the search for Mister 880 turned into the largest and most expensive counterfeit investigation in Secret Service history. The article doesn't explain why the Secret Service made this their biggest case, and it doesn't make much sense to me. If the dollars were accepted by the general population, it would cause an infinitesimal increase in inflation of no consequence to others. And if shopkeeper…
A small leak can sink a ship. The fake dollars weren't knowingly accepted. If public confidence in the value of money is lost, we're all in big trouble. The Secret Service was right to pursue the case zealously.
exactly, plus punishment also acts as a deterrent.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
"since large scale counterfeit operations is one of the few crimes that is an attack on the state itself" If somebody beats someone else up, to teach him a lesson - this is also a direct attack on the state itself, the monopoly on violence. But "large scale"? This old man with his crude tools and bad 1 dollar notes? "The press adored him and the public sympathized with him. " That is probably the bit, that got them e…
> this is also a direct attack on the state itself, the monopoly on violence. not quite, the state monopolises _legitimate_ violence. it delegitimises the violence of individuals by making assault etc illegal.
I don't fully understand how this isn't a monopoly on violence.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you check the $20 bills the ATM spits out, or just stuff them in your wallet and spend them?
people compare them to the $20 bill it spat out last time
Do they? I certainly don't - it's just a wad of notes. I'd probably notice if the one on top didn't have a "20" on it, and that's about it. When I spend it I'm also just looking to see if it has a "20" on it.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#86If you want to know more, there is a much better and very entertainingly written series of articles about this, from a 1949 issue of the New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1949/08/27/old-eight-eigh...
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm surprised people have such a knee-jerk reaction to my question.
Maybe because it sounds like a question on a 10th grade exam. It’s demanding and didactic, both in framing the question and the form of the expected answer.
Yes, it's asking for an essay. Oh well.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#88> 10 years went by and the search for Mister 880 turned into the largest and most expensive counterfeit investigation in Secret Service history. The article doesn't explain why the Secret Service made this their biggest case, and it doesn't make much sense to me. If the dollars were accepted by the general population, it would cause an infinitesimal increase in inflation of no consequence to others. And if shopkeeper…
We have the benefit of hindsight. The Secret Service couldn’t know the true scale of the operation, how many fake bills were in circulation, and that they were only singles.
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have two "counterfeiting" stories - both of which are humorous even though one involve the Secret Service. The first was in college. A buddy of mine scribbled a facsimile of a $20 onto a piece of paper with a green marker. He then handed it to the checkout clerk at the cafeteria who took it and started to hand them back change. He stopped her and said "no, no it's a joke - look at what I just handed you". She was e…
The best are sheets of $2 bills with perforations, as Steve Wozniak did: https://youtu.be/LJ1TIYxm1vM
That's wonderful. what a prankster is Wozniak!
Re: The One Dollar Counterfeiter
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
The state reserves some of the harshest punishments for counterfeiters, since large scale counterfeit operations is one of the few crimes that is an attack on the state itself. The US secret service was originally created specifically to combat counterfeit money, it's no surprise that they would keep tracking this man for a decade. This man is unusual because he did the tiniest amount of one the most severely punishe…
I have two "counterfeiting" stories - both of which are humorous even though one involve the Secret Service. The first was in college. A buddy of mine scribbled a facsimile of a $20 onto a piece of paper with a green marker. He then handed it to the checkout clerk at the cafeteria who took it and started to hand them back change. He stopped her and said "no, no it's a joke - look at what I just handed you". She was e…
What is neppy?