Receiving counterfeit money while in a foreign country is something that is not expected when traveling abroad. In fact, no one thinks to look up what to do when in a foreign country in case a counterfeit bill is received. It is definitely not out of the question that when money changes hands in a foreign country, especially with tourists, that a counterfeit bill may be involved.

Counterfeit money is an uncommon yet unfortunate reality. The chances of receiving counterfeit dollar bills are very small, but not impossible. Many incidents have been reported of people unknowingly getting fake money from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and bank tellers.

If you suspect you have been given fake money by an ATM, there are many ways you can verify your suspicions.

Anyone who has spent enough time surfing the internet or checking email has seen ads or websites selling weight-loss products. Pills, food programs, strange diets, teas, hypnosis... The list goes on and on. The truth is there is a huge demand for such products. Our society puts increasing value in having a beautiful, toned body, yet fosters unhealthy behaviors like eating fast food and watching television.

Counterfeiting is once again on the rise with the lightning speed advancement of computer technology and worldwide access. A popular forgery method is digital printing using computer scanners and high-resolution printers. Professional money-printing presses use technologies similar to those of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and produce high quality "supernotes" or "superdollars" that can easily fool an unwary or untrained eye.

The crime of currency counterfeiting is once again on the rise and poses a potential serious threat not only to the nation's economy but world economy as well. For anybody who handles money in any way shape or form and who doesn't? -- becoming more familiar with currency, especially the new U.S. paper currency, can save a lot of financial loss and heartache.

The United States Secret Service was established in the 19th century at the end of the American Civil War to try to put an end to making counterfeit money when approximately one-third to one-half of all the currency flooding the nation's market was fake. Today in the 21st century, the Secret Service's role has expanded to include aggressively pursuing American money counterfeiters and traffickers internationally.