LIVORNO. As many as 903 fake banknotes seized, for a total value of 35,825 euros. It is the balance sheet of the economic-financial police unit of the financial police for last year, while «in 2022 – explain the military – the same department had placed seals on a total of 555 fake euros for a total value of 26,100. The figures compared to the previous year unfortunately highlight a significant growth in the phenomenon.”
In 2024, 245 banknotes have been seized to date, with a total value of 8,405 euros. «Among the fake banknotes seized in 2023 – explain the provincial command – those with a denomination of 20 euros are the most exchanged (422, for a corresponding value of 8,440 euros), followed by those of 50 (370 copies, for a value equal at 18,500 euros), then those of 100 euros (79 tickets, for a corresponding value of 7,900 euros), as well as those of 10 (27 tickets, for a corresponding value of 270 euros), also three pieces of five euros ( for a corresponding value of 15 euros) and finally also one of 200 and one of 500.
The top cuts, although the least traded, «are those whose counterfeiting quality is better and for this reason more deceptive. The province of Livorno is suitable for dealing in counterfeit banknotes as it is a transit location for numerous tourists, a maritime connection with various ports in Europe and because citizens largely use cash to make payments”.
The places where the greatest number of counterfeit banknotes were intercepted are the cities of Livorno and Cecina, as well as the island of Elba. The paper money seized by the inspectors of the economic-financial police unit is essentially attributable to that delivered, in good faith by the unfortunate individuals, to the credit institutions or withdrawn by the supervisory institutions. Dealing, on the other hand, occurs more in small and medium-sized businesses as shopping centers and large-scale retail trade have equipped themselves with updated and effective detectors in recognizing non-genuine banknotes.
Significant support for the investigations also comes from the synergy implemented with the Bank of Italy, both at a local level with the agency’s staff and at a central level with the National Analysis Center which periodically reports to the provincial command of the financial police of Livorno the banknotes whose falsity has already been established and on which useful investigations are carried out to detect potential links with criminal episodes which have affected the province of Livorno, reconstructing, possibly, the entire counterfeiting chain to identify any possible crime cases related, such as robberies, scams and money laundering, as well as drug dealing.
The three steps to preliminarily ascertain the genuineness of paper money, explains finance, are:
- Touch: special printing techniques give the banknotes a particular consistency;
- Look: when held against the light, the window and the portrait watermark and the security thread become visible;
- Move: the window in the silver strip reveals, in transparency, the portrait of Europa and the emerald green number produces the effect of a light moving vertically.
«Anyone who has doubts about the authenticity of a banknote in their possession – conclude the financiers – must not attempt to spend it, because in this case they would be committing a crime. Instead, he must have it examined by employees at the counters of banks, post offices or branches of the Bank of Italy, the latter being the only body that can certify its falsity.”
