JEDDAH, 30 September 2004 — Businessmen and members of the public are wary of what to do with counterfeit currency notes. According to Al-Madinah newspaper, some of them thought it better not to notify authorities fearing the cumbersome procedures and consequences.
Muhammad Ahmad Khalil, a cashier at a food store, said that a customer bought a SAWA refill card from him paying SR100. He did not notice it was a fake until the customer was gone. Khalil kept the note for nearly a week before tearing it up. He did not consider going to authorities at all in fear of the complicated procedures and being implicated in passing fake cash. Since then he has been scrupulous in scrutinizing the money any customer pays. He refuses however, to attend any courses on counterfeit-money detection.
Khalil noticed that counterfeit money surfaced toward the end of the month when salaries are paid because it is easier to pass it off when the market if flush with money.
Muhsen Basaleh, a salesman in Jeddah, discovered fake notes of SR10 and SR50 denomination because of their strange colors. He returned the bills to their owner without reporting the case because he did not want to get involved or be held responsible for holding fake notes.
He said technology has made currency counterfeit notes so perfect that it has become hard to make out what is fake and what is not. He now scrutinizes SR10 and SR50 notes in front of the customer without feeling any awkwardness.
Mamdouh Al-Mutairi also refused to report any counterfeit money and resorts to burning or tearing it up. He suggested free courses for citizens especially those working in commercial establishments so that they can recognize counterfeit money when they see it.
When asked whether he could spot fake money, Mamdouh said no, adding that the confidence retailers place in customers is what enables crooks to get away with passing fake currency.
Abdullah Al-Jihani and Nader Al-Jihani both agreed that counterfeit currency is among the factors threatening the country’s economy. However, it has not yet become a very widespread phenomenon and they think it can be detected by checking certain details. However, they both expressed their fear that developing technology would make counterfeiting tough to detect.
An official source at SAMA urged citizens and expatriates to report any counterfeit operations or any suspected cases to authorities without fearing the consequences. It was a national and patriotic duty, he added.
Businessman Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sanei blamed foreign work force for the growing phenomenon of counterfeiting as they are already familiar with such things before they come to the Kingdom.
