The German Bundesbank warns that more and more counterfeit money is in circulation. In 2023, the Bundesbank registered around 56,600 counterfeit euro banknotes with a total face value of 5.1 million euros in German payment transactions. That is 28.2 percent more counterfeits than in 2022.
It is primarily banknotes of 200 euros and 500 euros that have increasingly been discovered to be counterfeit. According to the Bundesbank, there are only a few, but larger, cases of fraud that are contributing to the increase in the number of counterfeit money. According to the Bundesbank, around a dozen fraudulent transactions involving luxury goods such as jewelry, gold bars, watches and cars resulted in the amount of damage caused by counterfeit money being 90 percent higher in 2023 than in the previous year. Apart from these special cases, there isn’t that much counterfeit money in circulation anymore.
Burkhard Balz, the member of the Bundesbank Board of Directors responsible for cash: “Overall, the volume of counterfeit money remains at a low level with a continued low risk for citizens: on average, there were seven counterfeit banknotes for every 10,000 residents in 2023.”
The number of counterfeits in the second half of 2023 was around 29,900, higher than in the first half of the year (26,690). The following table shows the distribution of counterfeits across individual denominations in 2023 and the change compared to 2022:
Deutsche Bundesbank counterfeits in 2023.
German Bundesbank
How to recognize the fakes
As was the case last year, many counterfeits are easy to spot. On the imprints “MovieMoney” or “Prop copy”, especially on 10 and 20 euro notes. These counterfeits do not have any of the security features typical of banknotes. In some of these forgeries, the “MovieMoney” imprint was covered up and replaced with an imitation signature.
Some examples of how you can recognize real euro banknotes:
- Banknote paper feels firm and firm to the touch (exception: 5 and 10 euro notes are varnished and therefore feel smooth and firm.)
- For example, on the front of the banknotes, highlighted parts of the printed image can be felt in relief. On the left edge in the Europa series there is the writing “BCE ECB EЦБ EZB EKP EKT EKB BĊE EBC” (as well as “ESB” from the 50 euro note) and additional hatching on the right and left edges.
- The watermark can be seen as a shadow image in the unprinted area of each note when held up to the light.
- The hologram elements change when the banknote is tilted. Rainbow-colored effects appear that surround the motifs.
- The banknotes of the Europa series also have the emerald number on the front at the bottom left: when tilted, the color changes and a light bar moves up or down.
- On 100 and 200 euro banknotes, you will see several euro symbols in the emerald number that change size and color. The satellite feature can be found in the hologram. Here two euro symbols circle the value number.
The Bundesbank has listed below how you can check banknotes for authenticity.
This is what the Bundesbank advises if you receive counterfeit money
The Bundesbank strongly advises you to immediately report counterfeit banknotes and coins to the police and hand them in there. This means that important information about people who are circulating counterfeit money is not lost.
The disadvantage for you: Counterfeit money will not be replaced or exchanged for real money.
