A total of 653 counterfeit euro banknotes found in Finland last year

During 2023, a total of 653 counterfeit euro banknotes were detected among banknotes in circulation in Finland. The number has increased slightly from the previous year, but is still very moderate. In 2022, a total of 469 counterfeit euro banknotes were detected in circulation.

Among the banknotes in circulation in Finland in 2023, the EUR 20 was the most frequently discovered counterfeit note (364 counterfeits), followed by the EUR 50 (149 counterfeits) and the EUR 10 (80 counterfeits).

 “The number of counterfeits found in circulation in 2023 was slightly higher than in the previous year, but is still in the same order of magnitude as we are accustomed to seeing in Finland on an annual basis. It is also important to remember that, when handling banknotes, it is always worth paying attention to banknote security features,” says Olli Vehmas, Banknote Specialist at the Bank of Finland.

Period	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Number of counterfeits	979	1496	523	469	653

Euro banknotes have several security features, which can be used to check the authenticity of banknotes. Banknote authenticity can be checked by using simple tests: by feeling the raised print, looking at the banknote against the light, and tilting it. When the authenticity of an individual banknote is in doubt, the suspect banknote should be compared directly with one that is known to be genuine. Instructions and guides for checking banknote authenticity can be found on the Bank of Finland website (www.bof.fi > Money and payments).

The Bank of Finland has published a browser-based online banknote course, which is open to everyone. With the aid of the course, one can familiarise oneself with the security features of euro banknotes and obtain information on how to act in different situations if one happens to come across a counterfeit. The course can be found at banknotecourse.suomenpankki.fi (in Finnish and Swedish).

In its press release published today (www.ecb.europa.eu/), the European Central Bank outlines the overall situation of euro banknote counterfeits.

For further information about Finland, please contact:

Olli Vehmas, Banknote Specialist, Bank of Finland, tel. +358 9 183 3410

Jussi Larvanto, Detective Sergeant, National Bureau of Investigation, tel. +358 295 486 954