Evening star., 1940-03-31

'lI Was q 1OIScu CIlcCkT
Drive Being Conducted.
To help answer questions like
these, the United States Secret Serv.
Ice is making an intensive drive in
Washington against the twin dan.
gers of counterfeit money and Gov
ernment check forgery.
Thousands of school children and
adults have heard addresses by
agents Of the Secret Service and
have seen a striking motion picture
Know Your Money" This wildly
depicts the dangers of counterfeit
currency, and how the Government
Is concentrating an attack against
counterfeiters. Many more au-
diences here are to see this picture
soon.
Forgery of Government checks,
Chief Frank j. Wilson of the Secret
Service declared yesterday, is "a
major problem in the National Cap
ital." Because of the large number
of Government checks paid out here.
he pointed out, the problem of forg-
cry is probably more exaggerated
here than in any other part of the
country.
Many checks are stolen from let
ter boxes or in other ways, and must
then be forged before the proceeds
can be gained" he said 1T is i'm
perative that any one cashing a
Government check know the payee,
compare his signature with the in.
dorsement or require good identifi-
cation. In the case of w. P A.
workers the District and various
States issue identification cards
with the workers number, signature
and sometimes description.
Warning on Checks.
"Storekeepers should compare the
number and signature on the card
with the number opposite payees
name on check, and with the in
dorsement. A check with address
far removed from the place where
presented should be cause for sus-
picion. Bear in mind that any one
cashing Government check which
has been stolen, forged. or altered
may lose the money exchanged for
it, since the Government will not
honor it if the rightful payee has
been defrauded."
Taking prominent role locally
in the campaign to Know Your
Money" is Maurice r. Allen, agent
in charge of Washington for the
Secret Service. Emphasizing the
danger of forged checks. here. he
pointed out that unfortunately
many people think Government
/ check is like IS bill. But it is not
good he explained, unless it is in
the proper hands. The maker of the
check-the United States Govern
ment is good, of course, but if the
check gets into unauthorized hands
it is no good, and the owner can
stop payment on it," He warned
people in Washington against CASH
ing checks for strangers.
How to detect counterfeit bills is
clearly explained in a small PAM
phlet, with diagrams, issued by the
Secret Service, also under the title
Know Your Money
Three Types of Currency.
There are only three types of cur
rency printed by the United States
Government for circulation. They
are: Federal Reserve notes, which
bear green serial numbers and seal:
United States notes, which bear red
numbers and SEAL and silver GER
tificates, which bear blue numbers
and seal. There are still few old
National Bank notes in circulation,
but they have been called in, and
no new ones are being issued.
On the new money denominat tions
of bills may be identified by the
portraits as follows:
Washington on all $1.0O bills
Jefferson on all $500 bills
Lincoln ----- on all $500 bills
Hamilton-o on all $1,000 bills
Jackson on------ on all $4,000 bills
Grant on all e5O mn hiIIe