Half -year statistics
Bundesbank: Consumers prefer common notes
In Germany, less counterfeit money is discovered than in other European countries. But consumers should be careful, because the counterfeiters concentrate a particularly frequently used appearance.
For consumers there is a risk of getting fake banknotes into their hands. In the first half of the year, 8 percent more fake banknotes were discovered in German payment transactions than in the six months earlier, reports the Bundesbank.
According to the experts, the counterfeiters concentrate even more clearly than before on particularly common notes. The 50-euro certificate was most common, which, at just under 18,800, has now reached 51 percent of the falsifications discovered. In the previous half a year it was 44 percent. The 20s (21 percent) and the 100 euro certificate are currently followed in the places with a share of 17 percent.
36,610 flowers mean an increase of 8 percent compared to the previous half of the year. Because the criminals fake smaller banknotes on average, the damage amount only increased by 1.6 percent to EUR 2.13 million.
And although it hardly seems to be worthwhile for counterfeiters, with 585 pieces there was more than twice as many flowers at a nominal value of 5 euros instead of 500 euros. Of the largest appearance of the cash system, which is rarely used in everyday life, only 287 falsifications were noticeable – of course with much greater damage than for the five.
More false banknotes than in the first half of 2025 were last discovered in the first half of 2024 and before that in the second half of 2016. However, Burkhard Balz, among other things, is very unlikely for the citizens to come into contact with counterfeit money in Germany with counterfeit money. “In terms of mathematical, nine false banknotes were 10,000 inhabitants.” The Europe -wide comparative value was 13 false grades per 10,000 inhabitants last year.
Serbian wedding consumption
In the case of a border control and thus outside of the payment transactions reported here, police officers have secured more than 5,500 fake 200-euro notes. The controllers also had a money counting machine with them and said that they needed the flowers for Serbian wedding consumption. The bride and groom are thrown at counterfeit money before handing over real money as a real gift. The officials, on the other hand, assumed that the wrong notes should be used in a fraud stitch.
Don’t just pass on flowers
Despite the low number of cases, citizens should keep their eyes open: because counterfeit money is not replaced. Anyone who accepts it stays on the damage. The Bundesbank urgently warns of trying to turn the wrong notes on someone else because this is a criminal offense with up to five years in prison. Instead, the flowers should be submitted to the Bundesbank or police.
Many of the counterfeits are very easy to recognize, say the experts of the central banks and the police. The banknotes frequently ordered on the Internet do not bear any security features and are also provided with clues such as “Moviemoney or” Propopy “. Bundesbank and police advise you to check banknotes before accepting the principle of” feeling-to-see “.
Incorrect coins easily recognizable
Almost twice as often as false notes are noticed. Here, too, the number of cases increased by 12 percent to more 68,400 pieces, as reported by the Bundesbank. Around 91 percent or 62,400 of them accounted for the largest single coin worth 2 euros. There were no counterfeits below 50 cents.
Reliable signs of false coins are blurry images and irregular margins. If you are constantly having a magnet, you can also test the coins with it: According to the Bundesbank, real coins are only slightly magnetic, but fake people, on the other hand, are usually not or very strong.
Bundesbank for counterfeit money ECB on security features police crime prevention on counterfeit money
dpa
Source: Stern
