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What to do if you suspect a euro banknote is fake - some tips and interesting facts

19 March 2025

Counterfeiting euro banknotes is very difficult: the central banks that issue them, including Banca d'Italia, use special printing techniques and other advanced security features, such as parts that feel thicker and parts that can only be seen when you hold them up against the light. Even spending fake notes is a crime that's hard to commit: security features allow everyone to recognize counterfeit specimens easily. The issuing central banks and the police forces are also alert and collaborate to fight counterfeiting. Euro banknotes are therefore a safe and trusted means of payment.

The number of fake euro banknotes is very small compared with the number of genuine notes in circulation: 18 per million in 2024, according to the European Central Bank (ECB). Some 554,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation last year, with 121,000 in Italy, while the number of genuine circulating banknotes exceeded 30 billion. The most commonly counterfeited denominations are the 20 and 50 euro notes, which account for 75 per cent of counterfeit banknotes globally and 87 per cent in Italy.

Recognizing a fake banknote

Counterfeiting is nothing to be afraid of, but it's good practice to be cautious. The best way to protect yourself from the risk of accepting counterfeit banknotes is to know the security features of euro banknotes, which are either missing or poorly imitated in most counterfeits, making it easy to spot a fake. Use the simple 'look, feel, and tilt' method described on the ECB's website page on security features to check a banknote's authenticity.

What to do with a suspicious banknote

If someone pays you with a banknote that you suspect is fake, refuse it and ask for another one in exchange.

If you happen to find yourself with a suspicious banknote, don't try to spend it because you would be committing a crime!. Instead, hand it over at a Banca d'Italia branch, a bank, or a post office. If it is deemed counterfeit, the banknote will be sent to Banca d'Italia's Counterfeit Analysis Centre (NAC) for further verification, and you will receive a withdrawal report as a receipt. If the NAC confirms that the note is genuine, you will be refunded its value via bank transfer or a cashier's cheque from Banca d'Italia; if it's fake, no refund will be issued.

Alternatively, instead of delivering it to a bank, a post office or a Banca d'Italia branch, you can report it to the police.

The circulation of counterfeit notes undermines trust in the currency, which is a pillar of the economy. By handing over suspicious banknotes, we can help the authorities fight this phenomenon, which damages us all.