Mimic dust

Mimic dust is a type of technology that can simulate other items, such as credits, but will disintegrate once it's touched.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon

The Quintessons supposedly paid Dirk Manus after the delivery of the Recreator, but instead he discovered that he'd been paid in mimic dust, which appeared as credits but disintegrated when he touched it.

After helping the Autobots, Marissa Faireborn was betrayed by Dirk, who stole his "reward" of credits but learned that Faireborn had tricked him and also given him mimic dust shaped as credits. Money Is Everything