© AVSA 2011-2022 Version 19.01.03 15/09/2022

Fake Euro Notes
Asociación de Vecinos Sierra de Altea
(Neighbourhood Association)
The European Central Bank says that 413,000 fake euro notes were confiscated during the first half of this year, the highest six-month figure since the currency was launched in 2002. The most commonly faked is the €20 note, accounting for nearly half of seized fake bills. Counterfeiters prefer it to higher-denominated bills that are likely to be more closely inspected, and to €10 and €5 notes that yield lower profits. The second-most- copied denomination is the €50 note, accounting for 34 percent of seized notes. The fakes are quite easy to spot. Genuine euro bank notes have raised print that can be felt with the fingers, as well as watermarks and other security features that can be seen with the naked eye, and holograms that shift when the bill is tilted from side to side. It’s worth taking the few seconds it takes to check, before accepting notes.
Ceased fake notes and equipment by the Police in January 2014