The new series 20-euro note, updated in November 2015, has noticeably complicated the daily work of counterfeiters
As "Russkaya Germaniya" writes, in 2016, according to the German Federal Bank, 82,150 counterfeit banknotes fell into the hands of German law enforcement and bankers. Worldwide, as calculated by the European Central Bank, about 689,000 counterfeit euros of various denominations were seized (24% less than in the record year 2015 for counterfeiters, when 899,000 counterfeits were seized).
Nevertheless, the material damage from the activities of counterfeiters increased: in 2015 it reached 39.1 million euros, last year – 40 million. The main reason for this increase, despite the reduced number of counterfeits, is considered to be a single but high-profile criminal incident that occurred in the UK, where a jewelry seller was paid with counterfeit 500-euro notes totaling 6 million.
"The introduction of new banknotes of the 'Europa' series has a positive effect on reducing the circulation of counterfeit notes, including those of 20 euros," says Karl-Ludwig Thiele, a member of the board of the German Federal Bank. Previously, counterfeiting the "twenty" was a favorite pastime of counterfeiters. In 2016, the number of these counterfeit banknotes halved, while the "fifty" topped the hit parade: 61% of confiscated European banknotes made by criminals are 50-euro notes.
Representatives of the Federal Bank, as the guarantor of the stability of the national currency, hope that the renewal of the "fifty" will help overcome this trend. New 50-euro notes will begin to circulate from April 4. Like the new "twenties," these second-generation euro notes will have a transparent window with a portrait – the so-called see-through image (when viewed against the light, the window design on the front becomes transparent and the portrait of the mythical heroine Europa appears), and shiny denomination digits that change color depending on the viewing angle. "Improved holograms and more complex security features significantly complicate the possibility of counterfeiting," points out Karl-Ludwig Thiele.
By the end of 2018, the European Central Bank plans to update and also issue new 100- and 200-euro notes. As is widely known, by the same time, the printing of new 500-euro banknotes will be discontinued – both to combat corruption and to further complicate the lives of counterfeiters.
Old-style notes will be gradually withdrawn from circulation, as is noticeably happening with 5-, 10-, and 20-euro notes. First- and second-generation euros circulating in parallel still remain equal legal tender throughout the Eurozone, but in fact, old "fives," "tens," and "twenties" are no longer in our wallets.
How can an ordinary person, not equipped with devices for checking the authenticity of banknotes, distinguish a counterfeit note from a real one? Experts from the Federal Bank recommend using all possible combinations of sensations: a questionable banknote should be examined against the light, felt with fingers, and the viewing angle changed – a number of security features of the new euros are well hidden.
Overall, our chances of encountering the work of counterfeiters are low: purely mathematically, over the past year, there were ten counterfeit banknotes per 10,000 residents of Germany. If you are still unlucky, in any case, you must contact the police and hand over the counterfeit. It will not be exchanged, and you should remember well: the distribution of counterfeit money (and that is how an attempt to get rid of an illegal note that has come into your hands – even accidentally – will be qualified) is as punishable by law as its manufacture.