NCJ Number
228929
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 2009 Pages: 472-477
Date Published
October 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Using data from closed case files from the U.S. Secret Service in a southern jurisdiction, this study presents a descriptive analysis of currency counterfeiting.
Abstract
The data indicate that in the district studied, consumer computers, printers, and copiers have made it easier to replicate U.S. currency. Sophisticated criminal networks, advanced skills, and expensive tools are no longer needed to counterfeit currency. Anyone with larcenous motivations and access to digital technology can produce passable counterfeit bills. Counterfeiting in the district studied was not overly overrepresented by a specific gender, age, and history of crime compared to more traditional types of offending. The majority of counterfeiting cases involved multiple offenders, particularly among female counterfeiters. Female counterfeiters more often worked in groups; however, there was no way of knowing exactly how many people were involved in making counterfeit currency with home-based tools. The authors advise that generalization from these findings toward counterfeiting in general is unwarranted, as this study provides exploratory findings only. The data was limited since it was based on information from a single Secret Service field office. Another limitation was the narrow scope of the data available from the case files. The case files used for this study were closed from 2003 through mid-2008. Data were limited to cases that involved at least one identifiable offender. The study involved 123 counterfeiting cases that involved 242 individuals identified as currency counterfeiters or being involved in purposely passing counterfeit currency. The data included in the case files pertained to a variety of offender and offense characteristics. 6 tables, 4 notes, and 16 references