The "art" of counterfeiting currencies and the most forged Euro banknotes
In the last three years, the European Central Bank has removed 17 million fake euro banknotes from circulation, worth 21.5 million euros.
According to data from the European Central Bank (ECB), the guardian of the eurozone's coffers, in the period 2005-2007 a total of 1,705,000 fake banknotes would have been removed from circulation.
This data is added to that of Europol, which estimates the number of counterfeit banknotes seized before they reached the pockets of European citizens during the same period at 1,520,000. Data from the second half of 2007 shows that during those months 11.4 billion legal banknotes were in circulation.
The ECB has pointed out to this newspaper that despite a slight increase in the number of banknotes removed in the second half of 2007, this figure remains within the margins of previous years since 2002, when the euro began to be used in the street.
"Every year since its launch, the number of counterfeit banknotes removed has been lower than the total number of illegal European banknotes discovered in 2001," the institution adds.
Thus, while a total of 594,000 banknotes were recovered in 2004, in 2005 there were 579,000, in 2006 565,000 and in 2007, 561,000. In the period 2005-2007, the value of the counterfeit money seized would have reached 21.5 million euros, almost 6 million in 2005, 6.5 in 2006 and another 8.5 million more last year.
Compared, for example, to the 5000 pesetas banknote that was legal tender in 2001, which had 11 security features, the current banknote has a total of 30, which include a watermark that can be seen when held up to the light (an image and a figure indicating its value can be seen), a security thread (a dark line visible against the light), a hologram (on the 50, 100, 200 and 500 banknotes) and ink that changes color when the note is tilted.
For the ECB, these security measures have so far ensured that counterfeit banknotes are characterized by their "poor quality" and it continues to recommend the "touch, look and turn" technique on its website to check if a note is authentic.
Made of cotton fiber, the fingers should perceive embossed elements on the front.
When viewed against the light, the security thread and the motif match can be seen on both sides. Finally, when the banknote is tilted, the shine of the iridescent strip can be seen, and on higher value notes, the hologram and color-changing ink. Also, today's computer software, scanners and latest generation laser printers incorporate security features that prevent copying of European banknotes on home computers.
And, a warning to navigators: in case of detecting a fake banknote or having doubts and handing it over to a bank for verification, the user should know that if it is really an illegal copy they will lose the note forever as it is a criminal object. If it is legal tender, the ECB will return a new banknote of the same value.
Undoubtedly, the counterfeiter's favorite banknote continues to be the 50 euro note, which represents 38% of those detected by authorities. It is followed by the blue 20 (27.5%) though it is steadily declining, the 100 (22%), the 200 (2,5%), the 10 (2,5%) and lastly, the 500 and 5, both with 0.5%.
The rising star among counterfeiters is the 100 euro note. Thus, if in 2005 2,693 units were withdrawn, in 2006 its detection shot up and reached 33,400 banknotes (1,500% more). The following year it reached 44,086. The 200 also gains criminal appreciation and if in 2005 2,067 pieces were found, last year they rose to 8,216.
