Overview

Cambodia runs on US Dollars. Unlike most countries, USD is the de facto primary currency for transactions above a few dollars — hotels, restaurants, tours, and most shops price and transact in USD. Cambodian Riel (KHR) functions as small change (roughly 4,000 KHR per USD), typically returned when change is due below $1.

This heavy reliance on physical USD cash creates opportunities for counterfeit notes to circulate. The risk is concentrated in specific high-cash-flow contexts — tourist market change, taxis, informal money changers — rather than being a blanket risk across all transactions. Understanding where fakes appear and how to check notes quickly will protect you from the most common scenarios.

Identifying Real USD Notes

Modern US banknotes (series 2013 and later for $100; series 2004 and later for smaller denominations) include sophisticated security features. Here is what to check on the denominations most commonly counterfeited in Cambodia:

The Quick 3-Step Check

For practical use at markets and taxis, a 3-second check covers the main risks:

1. Tilt: Hold the note and tilt it. On a genuine $100, the numeral in the bottom-right corner shifts from gold to green, and the blue ribbon shifts left-right with a moving pattern. On fakes, the numeral is usually static ink.
2. Feel: Genuine USD notes are printed on a cotton-linen blend with a distinctive texture. Fakes printed on regular paper feel smooth and slightly glossy. Run your thumbnail across Franklin’s collar — genuine notes have raised ink you can feel as a slight roughness.
3. Hold to light: A faint watermark portrait of Benjamin Franklin should appear in the blank field to the right of the printed portrait. If absent, the note is likely fake.

Where Counterfeits Circulate in Cambodia

Counterfeit USD in Cambodia is not random — it concentrates in specific situations where large volumes of cash change hands quickly with minimal scrutiny.

Taxi and Tuk-Tuk Change

This is the most reported vector for receiving fake notes. Drivers, particularly at tourist sites and airports, may give change in notes that include counterfeits mixed with genuine ones. The hurried nature of the exchange and the tendency to pocket change without checking make this an effective distribution point. Always check change from taxi drivers before the vehicle departs.

Tourist Market Vendors

Busy markets at Angkor, the Old Market in Siem Reap, and the Central Market in Phnom Penh see high cash volumes. Change given in the bustle of a purchase can include counterfeits. Most are low-denomination fakes ($5, $10, $20) mixed into legitimate change.

Informal Street Money Changers

Unlicensed street changers offering KHR in exchange for USD — or offering to break large bills — represent the highest risk. Rates may look attractive but the exchange can include counterfeit or significantly below-face-value currency. Avoid all informal street changers.

Nightlife and Bars

Late-night bars and clubs in Phnom Penh’s nightlife areas occasionally see counterfeit notes in change, particularly for large-denomination transactions involving $50 or $100 bills. Check change in good light rather than in a dark bar.

Guesthouses and Small Hotels

Less common, but budget guesthouses that handle large cash volumes may unwittingly pass on fakes received from customers. If you receive a suspicious note in change from a guesthouse, politely point it out immediately — most will exchange it without argument.

Pen Test Reliability

The counterfeit detection pen — which leaves a dark mark on paper containing starch and a yellow mark on cotton-based currency paper — is widely used by Cambodian businesses. You will see it at guesthouses, exchange counters, and shops.

Why the Pen Alone Is Not Enough

Sophisticated counterfeiters have bypassed the pen test by using bleached genuine currency paper. A genuine $1 or $5 bill is bleached and reprinted as a $50 or $100 bill. Because the underlying paper is genuine US currency stock, the pen marks yellow (pass) even though the note is counterfeit. In this case, the pen gives a false sense of security.

Bleached-and-reprinted fakes are the most sophisticated counterfeits in circulation in Cambodia and will pass the pen test every time. Their weakness is the security ribbon and colour-shifting ink — a bleached $1 reprinted as $100 will have a security thread reading “USA ONE” rather than “USA 100”, visible under UV light.

Best Practice

Use the pen as one check among several. If the pen gives a dark mark, the note is almost certainly fake. If it marks yellow (pass), still verify the colour-shifting ink and watermark. A UV lamp confirming the correct thread denomination adds another layer of confidence.

KHR (Riel) Counterfeits

Cambodian Riel counterfeiting is less of a concern than USD fakes — primarily because KHR notes are low face value (4,000 KHR ≈ $1 USD) and there is less financial incentive to counterfeit them. However, fakes do exist and are most common in high denomination KHR notes (50,000 and 100,000 KHR).

Identifying Genuine KHR Notes

• Metallic security thread: Genuine KHR notes have a thin metallic strip embedded in the paper, visible when held to the light. Fakes often omit or poorly replicate this.
• Watermark: A portrait of King Norodom Sihanouk appears as a watermark on higher-denomination notes when held to the light.
• Paper feel: Genuine KHR notes are printed on banknote paper with a slightly rough, fibrous texture. Fake notes on regular paper feel smooth and may look slightly glossy.
• Colour accuracy: Counterfeit KHR notes often have slightly off colours — colours that appear washed out or with incorrect hues compared to the genuine note.

As a tourist, your exposure to KHR is primarily in small-change amounts below $1. The risk of receiving counterfeit KHR is low but rises when receiving change in 50,000 or 100,000 KHR notes. Check these as you would a USD note.

Safer Exchange Locations

The safest way to obtain USD and KHR in Cambodia is through regulated bank ATMs and licensed exchange counters. These institutions have strict currency verification processes and would not distribute counterfeit notes.

Recommended Banks (ATM and Counter)

• ABA Bank: The most ATM-ubiquitous bank in Cambodia. USD ATMs at all major branches and most malls and hotels. Recognised for clean, modern-series notes. ABA’s exchange counters also offer competitive rates.
• Canadia Bank: Well-established Cambodian bank with branches nationwide. Reliable ATMs and over-counter exchange. Notes dispensed are genuine and typically recent series.
• Acleda Bank: Cambodia’s largest bank by branch network. Especially useful in provincial areas where ABA and Canadia coverage thins out. ATMs dispense genuine USD.
• Wing Money: Cambodia’s largest mobile money operator also operates counter-based currency exchange. Useful for USD-KHR exchange in areas without bank branches. Regulated by the National Bank of Cambodia.

Licensed Exchange Counters

Look for exchange counters that display a National Bank of Cambodia exchange licence (a printed certificate). These are subject to regulatory oversight. In Phnom Penh, Psar Thmei (Central Market) has a row of licensed exchange counters with competitive rates. In Siem Reap, exchange counters near the Old Market are largely legitimate but vary in quality — check for a displayed licence.

Pre-2006 $100 Bills

This catches many travelers off guard: old-series US $100 bills (printed before 2006) are routinely refused in Cambodia — even by major banks, hotels, and exchange counters.

Why Pre-2006 Bills Are Refused

The current “Big Head” $100 note series (the Series 1996–2003 notes with an enlarged Franklin portrait) lacks many of the modern security features of the 2013-series note: no 3-D security ribbon, no colour-shifting bell in inkwell, and less sophisticated microprinting. Cambodian businesses find them harder to verify and associate older notes with higher counterfeit risk.

In practice, any $100 note without the blue 3-D security ribbon — a feature introduced with the Series 2009 redesign and widely distributed from 2013 — will be viewed with suspicion. Before travelling to Cambodia, check that all your $100 bills have the vertical blue security ribbon woven into the paper (not printed on).

What Series to Bring

• Series 2013 or later: The gold standard. Accepted everywhere without question.
• Series 2009: Has the 3-D ribbon; generally accepted.
• Series 2003 and earlier: No 3-D ribbon. Expect widespread refusal.

What To Do With Old-Series $100 Bills

Exchange old-series $100 bills at a major bank in your home country before departure. Once in Cambodia, your options are limited. ABA Bank may accept them at a reduced rate; the National Bank of Cambodia can exchange them at official rates. Most tourist-facing businesses will simply refuse them.

What To Do If You Receive a Fake Note

Despite precautions, you may occasionally receive a counterfeit note. Here is how to handle it:

In the Moment

If you notice a suspicious note immediately during a transaction, do not pocket it and do not hand it back without comment. Point out the issue calmly and ask for a replacement. Most legitimate businesses will exchange it immediately without argument — they do not want to be holding a counterfeit either.

If a taxi driver or market vendor refuses to exchange a note you have just received as change, firmly restate that you just received it from them and cannot accept it. Most will back down. In the minority of cases where they do not, decide whether the amount is worth escalating.

After the Fact

If you discover a counterfeit note later (when trying to spend it and it is refused), your options are limited. The note has no value and cannot be exchanged at banks. Do not attempt to pass it on — knowingly using counterfeit currency is a criminal offence in Cambodia.

Going to the Police

Cambodian police are generally unhelpful for individual counterfeit complaints. Tourist Police in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh can take a report, which may be useful for insurance purposes, but no investigation is likely. In some cases, presenting to police while holding a counterfeit note has resulted in the tourist being treated as a suspect. If reporting to police, go to a Tourist Police desk (distinct from regular police) and bring a companion.

Travel Insurance Claims

Some comprehensive travel insurance policies cover financial loss from fraud including counterfeit currency. Check your policy documents. If making a claim, obtain a police report (even if the police are unhelpful, the report number is required) and keep the counterfeit note as evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions