Million damage: significantly more counterfeit money – quality has not gotten better

The teacher’s work mandate looks harmless: get banknote imitations for a video shoot. The student’s father quickly finds what you are looking for on the Internet: play money with prints such as “Moviemoney” or “Prop Copy” are available from various providers. But when the child wants to use one of the notes on a station skiosk on a later class trip, the school project becomes a problem.

“Banknot-like printed matter that can be confused with real money are also illegal,” warns Bundesbank board member Burkhard Balz. For years now, a bills offered as a play money or film requisite have also been booming: Fall in the counterfeit that these notes look real – at least at first glance.

In Germany, almost a fifth (17 percent) of all secured flowers are those with inscriptions such as “Moviemoney” and “Prop Copy”- especially 10 and 20 euro notes.

Correct money numbers increased again

Last year, as much counterfeit money was ensured as it has not been since 2017: 72,413 fake banknotes moved out of circulation, trade and banks in Germany. That was 28 percent more than a year earlier. From 2022 to 2023 there was an increase in this size.

“We record an increase in counterfeit money in both Germany and in the euro area,” says Bundesbank board member Balz. “But that does not mean that the forgeries have gotten better: the mostly primitive counterfeits are clearly recognizable as such.”

In Europe as a whole, the number of euro flowers seized increased by 18.6 percent to 554,000 in the year – also a factor here: play money. At the end of October, Europe caught 174 packages with counterfeit money in a coordinated police campaign in 18 European countries, mostly “Movie Money” – nominal value: 14 million euros.

Feeling – see – tipping: false euro notes easy to recognize

Because less fake 200- and 500 euro notes ended up in payment transactions last year- for example in fraud shops with expensive watches or cars- despite the increased number of counterfeit money, the amount of damage due to counterfeit money in Germany: from 5.1 million euros to 4.5 Millions of euros last year.

“When you look at the years, the counterfeit money numbers are at a higher level compared to previous years. Overall, the numbers are still moderate,” Balz arranges. However, the fourth highest of the damage in Germany has been the fourth highest of the past 20 years. In Europe, the damage caused by counterfeit money last year even increased from 25 million euros to EUR 26.2 million.

Bundesbank sees the low risk for the individual

Although more counterfeit money is in circulation again, the Bundesbank sees a comparatively low risk that a fake banknote will be cheered on: in 2024 there were nine false banknotes to 10,000 inhabitants in Germany, and there were 16 each in Europe.

Correct money is not replaced. Anyone who accepts it stays on the damage. The Bundesbank urgently warns of trying to turn on the wrong notes for someone else because this is a crime. Instead, the flowers should be submitted to the Bundesbank or police.

Especially false 50-euro notes

Most frequently are fake notes that are used a lot in daily use: 50 and 20 euro banknotes. The fifties in Germany with a share of 40 percent and in Europe (43.3 percent) was the most frequently fake euro banknote. In Germany, two thirds of all banknotes for fifties and twenties are eliminated.

Counties are rather unattractive for criminals because of the low nominal value. Nevertheless, there were also plenty of false coins in Germany last year, mostly two-euro pieces. In total there were 141,332 false coins in German payment transactions and thus a fifth (22 percent) more than a year earlier.

The Bundesbank declares the increase in the fact that some companies have collected suspicious coins for years and then submitted them to the Bundesbank in 2024.