After entering Ecuador, I withdrew cash from an ATM at a bank in a small town, and a $20 bill came out that appeared dirty, lacked a watermark, and was torn. It was a bill that no one would accept.
I felt a sense of unease that it might be a counterfeit bill, and indeed, it was a counterfeit bill.
The crumpled bill is because the restaurant I tried to use it at did something on their own. Perhaps they were trying to verify if it was a counterfeit bill, or something. They shouldn't just crumple it up like that. More and more people will stop accepting them. But I guess it's unavoidable if counterfeit bills are coming out of ATMs in this country.
In the end, the staff at the toll road confirmed it was a counterfeit bill by stamping it.
It's typical of South America. It's typical of Ecuador. I was a little indignant, but it's Ecuador, so I guess it's like that. It seems like the ATMs in Ecuador are of Ecuador quality.
The toll road staff was kind enough to stamp it themselves.
Just because it's a counterfeit bill, they tore off the edges. What a shame.
Since it was a good story, I asked the staff how to tell if a bill is counterfeit. There are two points to note.
- The real bill has a rough texture. The counterfeit bill is just a little smoother. You can tell the difference by comparing them, but it's hard to tell if you're not used to it.
- The counterfeit bills also have intricate watermarks, but when you look at the vertical lines, the letters in the watermark are slightly different between the real and counterfeit bills. You won't notice it unless you compare them.
As for me, as an amateur, I think the only way to tell is by the paper quality.
However, ATMs in Ecuador only dispense bills smaller than 20 dollar bills, so it's rare to receive 20 dollar bills as change in Ecuador. Also, if I offer a 100 dollar bill, it's usually rejected everywhere except for the Galapagos Islands.
Well, I lost 20 dollars, but I guess that's just how Ecuador is.
When I asked the toll road staff, "Does Ecuador put counterfeit bills in its ATMs?" they had a subtle, awkward expression on their faces. Maybe they thought it was a national disgrace.