Huh?

This means one thing, I was robbed of my One Thousand Bill. This day has just turned crappier. Paging, Warrior Lawyer, help, if you can!!

* * *

For those who has no idea what I was talking about, the previous post can be found here:

Beware of Fake Currency

Whose to Say if it was a Fake?

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Since the money I got from BDO was only P1,500, there was no other choice but to use the suspected fake one thousand. My neighbor who owns a store thinks the money is okay so I used it to pay for some goods.

Then she herself used it to pay for some stuff she got from Procter and Gamble and they came to see me today to say that THEY suspect that the money is a fake however, since their bank has not officially identified as a fake, the money will remain a suspected fake. Dang!

Anyway, the salesman asked me wher I go the cash and I said it came from an over the counter withdrawal at BDO. My neighbor who has been in the business for more than 10 years also says the money doesn’t seem fake only that it feels softer, but the ribbon and shadows are present. I asked the salesman if this was an isolated incident and he said that they have came across several fake two hundred peso bills and one thousand peso bill.

So what now?

I asked him if the money has been officially verified and identified as fake? He said not officially, but the likelihood that it is a fake is high. Oh, no, not the words I wanted to hear. And he said that instances like this, the banks usually do not accept nor exchange suspected fake currencies.

So who’s at fault now? It is obvious that the money came from me. And the money I got came from BDO and my question is this, do you think BDO would change the suspected fake money for me? What are the SOPs of bank institutions when it comes to fake currency? What should I do as consumer? I unknowingly accepted a fake note from a bank, no less!

What should I do? Just skulk and accept the fact that BDO gave me a fakie? Who should I report this incident to? Can the police actually do anything about this? Lastly, will I get my one thousand back or should I just kiss it goodbye?

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When I got home, my water delivery guys came and I paid them with my One Thousand Bill. Since they did not have any change, they promised to return in a few minutes to get the change since they are buying gas at the nearby Shell Station. I said okay since the water company has been delivering my water for the past 6 months and they have been very reliable with delivery and such.

After an hour, they came back and told me my money was fake and the Shell Station refused to take my money– as they tried to pay their gas with the One Thousand in order to get some change. I looked at them and stared them down to see if they were lying. Ofcourse none of them even blinked (they said blinking or looking at the left side might be a sign of deception). They said that the Shell people thinks my bill was a fake. So I took the money back and asked why they think it was fake. They said it felt funny. Ofcourse, it felt funny, my then crispy bill from the bank was now soft, thanks to the manhandling of the Shell people. They have rubbed and crumpled my bill until it turned into mush. I flipped the money and checked if the shadow (konsensya) was present and it was! The usual marker or ribbon like material weaved on the bill was also present. Apart from the soft texture of the bill, they appear alright to me.

So what now?

What if the bill was indeed fake? Where did exactly did it come from? The only place where I got the money was straight from BDO, unless those water people switched my bill with a fake one. If the money indeed came from BDO, were they liable for giving out fake currency? If someone unwittingly passed on a fake currency to you, what are you supposed to do? Can we just return the fake bill and be replenished? Perhaps, I can test this and go to BDO 2 days from now and check if they will replace the said bill. Hmmm…

This also reminded me of an old email from my husband’s colleague and she actually complained that BDO in SM Megamall gave her 2 fake One Thousand Bill. This happened years ago. With the holiday related spending on the rise, we should be wary of bills exchanging on our hands. According to the water guys, they actually got fake Two Hundred Peso bills last week. They have been forewarned and is on the lookout for fake Thousand Bills too.

I checked online and did not really find anything substantial about what the government can do in the event a fake currency falls into our hands, apart from yes, you can get into prison for passing fake currency around. But, how about on instances wherein you have no idea you were totting a fakie?

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas although the counterfeiters have more sophisticated techniques in generating fake currencies, there are some easy ways to spot a fake currency.

The color is too vivid

The paper is too smooth.

The shadows were not present

The ribbon weaved into the paper is not even there.

If you suspect a fake bill, you can report it to the nearest police station. Doing so will help you trace where the fake might have originated. There is however no clear guidelines on how one can get a refund if lets say the counterfeit indeed came from a legal institution like your own bank or even a huge retail store (for example SM). We just have to be careful and be vigilant as bills exchange our hands.

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When I got home, my water delivery guys came and I paid them with my One Thousand Bill. Since they did not have any change, they promised to return in a few minutes to get the change since they are buying gas at the nearby Shell Station. I said okay since the water company has been delivering my water for the past 6 months and they have been very reliable with delivery and such.

After an hour, they came back and told me my money was fake and the Shell Station refused to take my money– as they tried to pay their gas with the One Thousand in order to get some change. I looked at them and stared them down to see if they were lying. Ofcourse none of them even blinked (they said blinking or looking at the left side might be a sign of deception). They said that the Shell people thinks my bill was a fake. So I took the money back and asked why they think it was fake. They said it felt funny. Ofcourse, it felt funny, my then crispy bill from the bank was now soft, thanks to the manhandling of the Shell people. They have rubbed and crumpled my bill until it turned into mush. I flipped the money and checked if the shadow (konsensya) was present and it was! The usual marker or ribbon like material weaved on the bill was also present. Apart from the soft texture of the bill, they appear alright to me.

So what now?

What if the bill was indeed fake? Where did exactly did it come from? The only place where I got the money was straight from BDO, unless those water people switched my bill with a fake one. If the money indeed came from BDO, were they liable for giving out fake currency? If someone unwittingly passed on a fake currency to you, what are you supposed to do? Can we just return the fake bill and be replenished? Perhaps, I can test this and go to BDO 2 days from now and check if they will replace the said bill. Hmmm…

This also reminded me of an old email from my husband’s colleague and she actually complained that BDO in SM Megamall gave her 2 fake One Thousand Bill. This happened years ago. With the holiday related spending on the rise, we should be wary of bills exchanging on our hands. According to the water guys, they actually got fake Two Hundred Peso bills last week. They have been forewarned and is on the lookout for fake Thousand Bills too.

I checked online and did not really find anything substantial about what the government can do in the event a fake currency falls into our hands, apart from yes, you can get into prison for passing fake currency around. But, how about on instances wherein you have no idea you were totting a fakie?

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas although the counterfeiters have more sophisticated techniques in generating fake currencies, there are some easy ways to spot a fake currency.

The color is too vivid

The paper is too smooth.

The shadows were not present

The ribbon weaved into the paper is not even there.

If you suspect a fake bill, you can report it to the nearest police station. Doing so will help you trace where the fake might have originated. There is however no clear guidelines on how one can get a refund if lets say the counterfeit indeed came from a legal institution like your own bank or even a huge retail store (for example SM). We just have to be careful and be vigilant as bills exchange our hands.

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I even had a claims dispute years ago with Citibank, of which I was charged 5 times of the same magazine subscription and after I complained, the amount was credited back to my account the next day. It was such easy breezy operation that I am dumbfolded over the internet banking facility of Banco de Oro when it is supposed to be one of the biggest banks in the country.

Years ago, I also held an account with Metrobank and years ago, the local banks were just starting their online facilities. Metrobank‘s interface was not very good but it was fast rendering. I have never tried their bills payment facility since my Citibank was doing that job efficiently. Paying PLDT and Meralco online was so convenient.

Now I am on the hunt for a new bank. I want a bank that has Banco de Oro’s late hours, and with Citibank’s outstanding internet facility. Is there any bank that fit the bill?

Feedback, anyone?

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I checked my transactions at BDO Online and saw that I was indeed charged.  The charged went through and I also paid for the same transaction iun cash.  D a m n ! ! !  I called the BDO Hotline and reported the discrepancies.  I was only given an incident number and was promised a refund in 10 days…  Its over a month now and darn, BDO, I want my money back!!!

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