Eli5: Why does counterfeit money need to be “washed”?

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I’ve been watching way too much Good Girls. Why does counterfeit money need to be “washed”? Why can’t you just spend it like a normal person spending normal money?

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You need to be able to get rid of large amounts quickly, and have something legitimate to show where that $ came from. Think about it this way, if you go to let’s say the local outlets. You spend thousands and buying everything you want, they will quickly uncover a connection to you and probably locate you. If you wash it, you basically negotiate let’s say $50 for every $100. A million in counterfeit money would give you half of that value but it would place the initial blame on the person/entity that is actually putting it in circulation. The money you deposit is legitimate or has now become electronic. Eventually a financial institution with recognize the problem with the counterfeit bills and you will have to run. Now you have a head start!

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