Product: Counterfeit Cop
Company: Beckwith Management Ltd. / Wright & Wilhelmy Co.

The retail world is filled with finicky customers, odd and long hours, and slim profit margins made even slimmer by theft, damage, returns and chargebacks. These all decrease the bottom line and are more often than not unpredictable and unpreventable.

So, the very last thing a shop owner needs is to accept a payment and realize after the fact that it is a counterfeit bill, check or card. Thankfully, counterfeit currency and even many fraudulent cards are identifiable.

Counterfeit Cop, the product of two ex-CIA agents, developed after the U.S. Treasury Department began a major currency overhaul in the mid-1990's with several new and stronger security features, is an electronic device using UV and incandescent light to detect fraudulent cash, checks of all types, payment cards, various identifications and other miscellaneous documents. In late 2001, Beckwith Management Ltd. in Omaha, Neb. attained the rights to the product and expanded operations. The device makes use of security features such as special paper, polymer threads, holograms, fluorescent lights and watermarks to determine the authenticity of cash, cards and other documents.

It is a rectangular box open on one long side with UV lighting on the inside top and incandescent lighting on the inside bottom. Cash, checks, cards or other documents are simply placed inside, face up, with the back resting on the incandescent light and the UV light shining down. If any cash denomination is fake, bright blue light will shine from underneath. The UV light above will show bill-specific features including:

• $100: Red vertical thread left of Ben Franklin's face
• $50: Yellow vertical thread right of Ulysses S. Grant's face
• $20: Green vertical thread left of Andrew Jackson's face
• $10: Orange vertical thread right of Alexander Hamilton's face
• $5: Blue vertical thread left of Abraham Lincoln's face.

Although these security features found in cash are common knowledge, most people do not realize that all the major card brands have UV-activated holograms (in addition to any "normal," visible, hologram), and that these features are not present on fraudulent cards (made by "skimming" stolen numbers to "blank" cards). The following card-specific holograms will appear:

• American Express: "A-M-E-X" with globe in center
• Visa: Visa dove in center
• MasterCard: "M" and "C" at front of card
• Discover: NOVUS logo
• Diners Club: "D"

On personal checks, The UV light will illuminate a "lock" symbol on the back, which will be absent if fraudulent. The paper for authentic traveler's cheques should look "dull," or matte-finished. If it glows, it's probably fraudulent. Until now, those behind Counterfeit Cop have brought it directly to customers. However, they are now interested in working with the independent sales channel. It's a great way to set yourself apart from the pack.

BRM Marketing
877-276-6584
lightcop@hotmail.com