FLASH
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The 20 and 50 euro notes are the most counterfeited, while during 2024, 554 thousand units were withdrawn from circulation, of which 121,111 in Italy alone.
According to a report by the European Central Bank, counterfeiting of banknotes is on the rise: in 2023, 467 thousand cases were detected.
The most counterfeited denominations are the 20 and 50 euro banknotes, which account for 75% of withdrawn banknotes.
They account for 38% and 43.6% respectively. As the value increases or decreases, the percentage of counterfeit items in the total withdrawn decreases: 5 euros (1.3%); 10 euros (6.8%); 100 euros (7.9%); 200 euros (3.8%); 500 euros (0.6%).
Last year, 18 counterfeits were detected for every million genuine banknotes in circulation. 97.8% of counterfeit banknotes were found in eurozone countries, while 1.3% came from EU member states outside the eurozone and 0.9% from other regions of the world.
Although this data does not concern the monetary authorities, who define payment in banknotes as safe and reliable, it is worth noting that in recent years the number of counterfeits has gradually increased. In 2021, 12 counterfeits were detected for every 1 million original banknotes in circulation. In 2022, they were 13 per million.
Faced with these figures, the question arises spontaneously: how to distinguish a fake banknote from a real one? The ECB itself offers an effective method by suggesting the "touch, look and move" strategy. First, touching the banknote helps. If it is genuine, it will be equipped with special printing techniques that distinguish it from a fake. The ECB also recommends holding the paper to the light: the portrait watermark and the security thread will be clearly visible.
Finally, by moving the banknote to the light, the portrait of Europe will appear and the number will produce the effect of a light moving vertically.
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