A total of 1,496 counterfeit euro banknotes found in Finland in 2020

In 2020, a total of 1,496 counterfeit euro banknotes were detected among banknotes in circulation in Finland. The number of counterfeits was higher than in 2019 but is still low compared with other euro area countries.

‘The number of counterfeit euro banknotes found in circulation has increased from the previous year, but remains moderate,’ says Olli Vehmas, Banknote Specialist at the Bank of Finland.

Of the different banknotes in circulation in 2020, the EUR 20 was the most frequently discovered counterfeit note (629 counterfeits) in Finland, followed by the EUR 10 (410 counterfeits) and the EUR 50 (358 counterfeits).

‘It is easy and quick to detect counterfeits by learning the banknote security features and always checking them when handling banknotes,’ says Vehmas.

Period	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Number of counterfeits	2,171	766	833	980	1,496

The new series of euro banknotes, of which the last denominations, the EUR 100 and EUR 200 banknotes, were issued in 2019, help prevent counterfeiting. The other denominations were issued earlier. The banknote security features involve the latest technology, as a result of which banknote counterfeiting is even more difficult than before.

 A number of security features have been incorporated into euro banknotes for authentication purposes. Banknote authenticity can be checked by using simple tests, i.e. by feeling the raised print, looking at the banknote against the light and tilting it. When in doubt, a 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).

In a press release issued today (www.ecb.europa.eu), the European Central Bank provides an overview of the situation regarding counterfeit euro banknotes.

For further information on the situation in Finland, please contact:

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

Kristian Meismaa, Detective Sergeant, National Bureau of Investigation, tel. +358 295 48 6837