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5 Signs You Have the Highest Security Tamper-Evident Bags

July 6, 2021

When handling cash, coins and checks, it is essential that you protect these assets from tampering throughout the transit process. While cash in transit companies first used heavyweight canvas bags to store cash and other currency, these bags do not have security features to indicate tampering or attempted theft.  This means that anyone could take cash out of a deposit bag and no one would know unless they manually counted out the contents of the bag. According to Statistic Brain, employee theft costs U.S. businesses $50 billion per year, which includes losses from cash skimming. 

However, tamper-evident deposit bags are made with multiple security features, such as void seals, to deter theft and inform cash handlers that a bag might have been tampered with. Today, we’ll go over how tamper-evident bags work and the 5 most important features you should look for in your tamper-evident bags. 

What are Tamper Evident Bags? 

The Highest-Performing Security Bag in Banking

Designed to deter theft and loss during the cash transit process, tamper-evident bags use the latest developments in tamper-evident technology to indicate that someone tried to open a bag while keeping costs low. A tamper-evident bag is typically made of materials like polyethylene resin, a lightweight but sturdy plastic that can support the weight of cash and coin deposits. 

Despite their plastic construction, tamper-evident deposit bags can withstand the fast-paced and rigorous environments of cash handling and transportation. For example, CONTROLTEK tamper-evident bags are Vault Process Certified, which means the bags have thinner walls without sacrificing any of the strength of thicker cash bags to save money on shipping weight and reduce the impact on the environment. 

Durable plastic construction is also an important feature in a tamper-evident coin bag. The CoinLOK is also the first single-use bank coin bag, providing the convenience of a tamper-evident coin bag while matching the strength of reusable coin bags. 

Tamper evident deposit bags and coin bags use various types of tamper-evident technology to indicate if the integrity of the bag has been compromised. For example, void seals are a popular security feature in a tamper-evident bag. The seals are printed with a high visibility void message so that when the seal is removed, the word “void” is left behind to indicate that the bag has been opened. 

Why Should You Use Tamper Evident Bags? 

Internal theft is one of the biggest sources of loss for any business. In fact, according to CompareCamp, three out of four employees have admitted to stealing from their employers at least once, and employee fraud can go on for months and even years before it is detected. 

Cash and currency are common targets of theft, both internal and external, for obvious reasons. Unlike stolen goods that need to be sold, cash can be used right away. Many businesses also still use paper-based recordkeeping methods for their cash stores, which can be easily manipulated to cover someone’s tracks. 

With tamper-evident deposit bags, you can easily see if someone has opened a bag during the cash transport process. The latest developments in tamper-evident bag technology can indicate multiple types of attempted openings, including methods that more experienced thieves use. 

5 Important Features in Tamper-Evident Deposit Bags 

The most effective tamper-evident bags have multiple security features to indicate potential theft. Both tamper-evident coin bags and tamper-evident deposit bags can be compromised in multiple ways, so it is important that they can deter thieves from using any method to open a bag. 

Below are 5 signs you have the highest security tamper-evident bags: 

High Visibility Void Message 

A void seal is often the first layer of security in tamper-evident deposit bags. As mentioned earlier, a void seal is printed with a high visibility message that clearly indicates when a bag has been opened. If the bag has been opened before it reaches its intended destination, the void message will show it, making it much easier for you to catch potential theft early in the process.

Heat and Freezing Detection 

Some experienced thieves have learned different ways to get inside tamper-evident bags; thankfully, tamper-evident technology has ways of deterring this. Many tamper-evident deposit bags use special thermochromic ink that changes color when exposed to extreme temperatures. 

For example, heat-detecting ink typically reveals a red void message, while cold-detecting ink can activate a blue void message. The different colors can help you determine how someone tried to open the bag and aid your investigation. 

Water Detection 

Thieves have also used water and even saliva to weaken the adhesive in some tamper-evident bags so they can open the bag without activating a void message. The CONTROLTEK TripLOK features a tamper-evident message along the seal, but using fluids to tamper with the bag will smear the security message and clearly indicate potential theft. 

Security Border and Micro Printing 

You might be wondering, “What if someone tries to just cut open a tamper-evident bag?” High-quality tamper-evident deposit bags are designed to combat this type of tampering as well. Vulnerable areas, like the edges and gusset of the bag, typically feature microprinting, or a small pattern printed on the bag. 

If someone tries to cut the bag open and seal it up again, it is virtually impossible to line up the pattern perfectly; instead, the obviously misaligned pattern would indicate that the bag was opened. 

Triple-Seal Closure 

Tamper evident bags are often not filled up all the way, whether it’s because the cash deposit is smaller or a business wants to transport checks. This leads employees to fold the bag in half to save space. However, when you seal a tamper-evident bag away from where it’s designed to be closed, this could leave a gap that doesn’t actually seal the top of the bag. 

A triple-seal closure is an easy-to-use security feature that effectively makes it impossible to open a partially filled bag without being detected. CONTROLTEK’s patented triple-seal closure includes an interior adhesive that leaves no openings once the bag is sealed, even if the bag is folded in half. 

Upgrade Your Tamper Evident Bags With CONTROLTEK 

If you’re considering upgrading your cash handling process with tamper-evident bags, CONTROLTEK can help. We created the TripLOK, the most widely used tamper-evident bag in the industry. The patented features of the TripLOK reduce losses from theft while improving the efficiency of your vault and cash transport operations. 

Contact us today to learn more about how the TripLOK can improve your cash security.