How to check authenticity of Rs 500 notes? Follow RBI’s 17-point checklist or face losses

You can easily check the authenticity of Rs 500 notes by following RBI’s 17-point checklist.

New Delhi: Every one of us must have received a fake Rs 500 at least once in our lifetime, be it from your nearby ration shop or a shopping complex. However, since many of us don't know how to exactly check if the Rs 500 note in your pocket is genuine or fake, many of us had to face a loss.

So, if you have also faced difficulty in differentiating fake or real Rs Rs 500, you need not worry. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had recently issued a checklist you can follow to find out fake notes. Also Read: Fact Check: Received RBI e-mail offering Rs 4.62 crores? Check the truth behind it

According to a recent RBI report, banks had received fake notes worth Rs 5.45 crore in 2020 and 2021, of which, 2,08,625 fake notes have been caught. Banks caught 2,00,518 notes and RBI had found 8107 Rs 500 fake notes. Moreover, in 2019-20, 30,054 fake notes of Rs 500 were caught, meaning that there was a rise of 31.3% in fake notes caught by the authorities. Also Read: Bank Holidays in February: Banks to remain shut for 12 days next month, check important dates

Here's how to check if the Rs 500 note is real or fake: 

1. 500 will be written in special places if you place the Rs 500 note in front of a light. 

2. Keeping the note at an angle of 45 degrees in front of the eye will also let you see 500 written in this special place.

3. You can also see 500 written at this place in Devanagari will be seen.

4. Mahatma Gandhi’s photo is on right in the centre.

5. India will be seen written.

6. If you bend the note lightly, you can see the colour of the security thread changing from green to indigo.

7. Governor's signature, guarantee clause, promise clause and RBI logo have now been shifted to the right side. 

8. Mahatma Gandhi’s photo and electrotype watermark are also visible.

9. Numbers on the top left side and bottom right side increase from left to right.

10. The colour of the number 500 written on the note changes from green to blue.

11. On the right side of the note is Ashoka Pillar.

12. On the right side circle box, 500 will be written. There are 5 bleed lines on the right and left side and emblem of Ashoka Pillar, and Mahatma Gandhi's picture is in ruffle print.

13. You can check the year of printing of the note. 

14. Swachh Bharat’s logo is printed with the slogan.

15. Language panel is located towards the centre.

16. The picture print is of the Red Fort with the Indian flag.

17. 500 is printed in Devanagari.