18 U.S.C. § 472 criminalizes specified dealings with counterfeit or altered U.S. obligations when accompanied by intent to defraud. It covers more than successfully spending a counterfeit bill, but unknowingly receiving suspicious money is not automatically the same offense. The required intent must be established. [1]
What conduct the statute covers
Section 472 addresses passing, uttering, publishing, selling, and attempts to do those things. It also covers bringing the covered counterfeit obligations into the United States, possessing them, or concealing them with the same fraudulent intent. A prosecution must connect the charged conduct to an obligation or security within the statute. [1]
An unsuccessful transaction can still matter because attempts are expressly included. Possession also requires the relevant intent; the discovery of a bad bill in a wallet does not eliminate the need to examine how it arrived there and what the person knew and intended.
Why intent and chronology matter
A person who receives a bill as change and later learns it is counterfeit presents different facts from someone who knowingly offers counterfeit money as genuine. Messages, transaction records, statements, and the circumstances of possession may affect the intent analysis. A defense needs the actual timeline rather than only a broad assertion that no loss occurred. [1]
For example, learning that a bill is suspicious before a later attempted purchase changes the factual inquiry. Do not try to resolve the problem by passing it to another unsuspecting person. Preserve records of where it came from and seek the appropriate reporting or examination process.
The maximum is not the predicted sentence
The statutory punishment is a fine under Title 18, imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both. That maximum does not mean every conviction produces a twenty-year sentence. The actual charges, established facts, sentencing law, and individual case determine the result. [1]
Section 471 is a separate provision addressing falsely making, forging, counterfeiting, or altering U.S. obligations with intent to defraud. A person accused of passing money should identify whether the case also alleges manufacturing or another distinct offense rather than treating every counterfeiting statute as interchangeable. [2]
Information to preserve for a real case
- Keep receipts and records showing the source of the money.
- Write down the sequence of receipt, discovery, and any attempted use while memories are fresh.
- Preserve relevant messages without changing or deleting them.
- Identify exactly which bill, transaction, and statutory subsection the allegation concerns.
Obtain legal advice before giving a detailed response to a criminal accusation. The useful questions include identity, the item’s character, the charged act, and fraudulent intent. An ordinary payment dispute or an accidental receipt should not be analyzed as though those elements have already been proven.
Related currency questions
Compare making counterfeit currency under Section 471. For a separate question about valid U.S. money, see legal tender and cash-acceptance rules.
Primary sources
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.