Counter Counterfeits with Currency and Product Authentication Bar Code Scanners
Counterfeiting, sometimes known as the world's second oldest profession, is as old as trade and money itself. In the olden days, counterfeiters used to mix base metals with pure silver and gold. When paper money was introduced, skilled counterfeiters found different ways to print fake currency using large printing presses, engraving tools, special inks and metal plates. Now, with computers and printing technology so accessible to regular people, it has become easier than ever to copy money. To counteract this, paper bills now have better security features such as holograms, raised intaglio, strips, multi-colored bills, microprinting and inks that change color in the light. As money has become more high-tech, counterfeiters have also become more sophisticated, requiring even better anti-counterfeit checkers. There are currently over two-hundred million dollars worth of fake US money worldwide. Counterfeiting is a serious issue that can lead to inflation and a reduction in the value of real money. Businesses that accidentally accept counterfeit money in exchange for products and services are stuck with the bogus bills.
Aside from money, products are also being counterfeited, which is another serious problem for businesses. Counterfeit goods or knockoffs introduced to the market drive up consumer prices since the manufacturers need to recoup the loss of income from fake products. Counterfeit products can also endanger public safety. Some commonly counterfeited products include software, pharmaceuticals, watches, toys, clothing, electronics and art. Other similar threats include parallel imports, diverted products, unapproved generics, stolen products, reintroduction of expired items and up-labelled products. To guard against fake goods, various anti-counterfeiting strategies need to be employed. Bar codes, which are inexpensive to print and deploy, can be embedded on item packaging to automatically identify products and prevent counterfeiting and other threats. Overt, covert and forensic authentication help in product identification, tracking and pedigree. Being able to identify fake products can also help track their distributors and source.
To help businesses avoid being victimized, these bar code readers can help identify counterfeits.
ScanSure by InkSure Technologies
ScanSure is a hand-held forensic reader by Inksure Technologies, Inc. that can determine with one click whether a product is counterfeit, illegitimate, 
diverted or unauthorized. It seamlessly integrates with third party track and trace solutions. For companies that do not have a system in place, Inksure also provides the cloud-based track and trace system TrackSure. ScanSure also offers currency-level authentication and can authenticate serial numbers, holograms and other security features.
"The problem of counterfeiting gets a lot of attention but this is not the only way criminals use an organization's brand for their own gain,” Tal Gilat, president and CEO of InkSure Technologies, said. “For example, many outsourced manufacturing plants sell their customers' products through diverted channels; run "third shift" counterfeiting productions and try to sell recalled or expired products. Therefore companies need to have systems in place that identify all of these supply chain security breaches, not just counterfeiting."
Viktor Goldovsky Ph.D, head of business development at InkSure Technologies, said, "ScanSure is the most unique and robust reader that InkSure has ever created. No other reader is designed to give complete authentication and track & trace information. The system we have created is dynamic, thorough and gives organizations the control they need to secure their supply chains from the most notorious security breaches."
Gryphon GM4100 Barcode Scanner and Base Station by DataLogic
The Gryphon GM4100 Barcode Scanner and Base Station offers anti-counterfeit and brand protection for products as well as money and ID document detection. The bar code scanner can read up to 325 scans per second and has a wireless range of up to 30 meters or 98 feet. It can store up to 1200 codes in memory. It has batch mode capability, an optional 3 key keypad and a drop resistance of 5.9 feet or 1.8 meters.
“Over the course of the past 10 years Datalogic Scanning has invested heavily in the development of a complete family of cordless products to extend our customers’ mobility in comparison to the use of traditional tethered devices”, Giulio Berzuini, EMEA Sales & Marketing VP, said, “Now we are very excited to announce the new Gryphon I GM4100 imager which will enhance our winning position in cordless scanning.”
The base station, which is available for both the 910 MHz and 433 MHz, offers anti-counterfeit detection. The base station has ultraviolet (UV) counterfeit detection using 8 special UV LEDs.
“Datalogic Scanning is excited to bring this new enhancement to our Gryphon I GM4100 base station to the marketplace,” Pietro Todescato, General Manager, Handheld Scanning Business Unit, said. “This unique base station allows the operator to visually detect counterfeit money, as well as verify documents such as passports, credit cards, travel/event tickets and travelers checks. We are always looking for ways to improve the ROI (Return on Investment) for our customers that choose our products. We think this great new feature does that.”
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