341 counterfeit euro banknotes detected in Finland in H1

A total of 341 counterfeit euro banknotes were detected among banknotes in circulation in Finland in the first six months of this year, Bank of Finland sources said.

The number of counterfeits was nearly the same as in the corresponding period of the previous year, said a press release.

The number of counterfeit notes was 345 in the first six months in 2017 while 703 in the first six months in 2016.

In Finland, the numbers of counterfeit euro banknotes are small, compared with the situation in other member states in European Union.

“Counterfeits are recovered rapidly in Finland, and are removed from circulation, thanks to authentication devices and the vigilance of the general public”, said Olli Vehmas, Banknote Specialist at the Bank of Finland.

Of the different denominations of banknotes in circulation, the EUR 50 was the most frequently discovered counterfeit banknote in Finland (158 counterfeits) in the first part of 2018, followed by the EUR 20 (98 counterfeits) and EUR 100 (35 counterfeits).

“It is highly unlikely that you will come across a counterfeit banknote in Finland. Receiving counterfeit euro banknotes from an ATM is in principle impossible”, said Vehmas.

Counterfeiting is prevented with the new series of euro banknotes. The banknote security features involve the latest technology, as a result of which banknote counterfeiting is even more difficult than before.

In the new series of euro banknotes, the EUR 5, EUR 10, EUR 20 and EUR 50 banknotes have been issued so far. The last banknotes to be issued in the new series are the EUR 100 and EUR 200 banknotes.