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

Question

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?

In: 0

Answer 1

If you spend a lot though, it might raise a few eyebrows as to where you’re getting it. Money laundering is the creation of a forged paper trail that shows it as income from somewhere.