Swiss banknotes are less frequently counterfeited

Anti-counterfeiting, small market: Never so few Swiss banknotes have been counterfeited until 2018, says the Federal Office of Police (fedpol). At the same time, more and more fake five-franc coins are discovered.

The most popular tickets for counterfeiters are 1000 francs. In the year 2000, there were still 17,654 counterfeit notes of this value in circulation. Most were impressions. Only a few had been made with a color copier.

Today counterfeiters are much less likely to make 1000 notes. Counterfeiting statistics for the past year counted only 82 counterfeit notes of this value, a decline of more than 99.5% compared to the previous year. 2000. These figures were transmitted to Keystone-ATS by fedpol.

Counterfeit 1000 notes are not the only ones to have become rare in recent years. The risk of receiving a counterfeit of any value in return for money diminishes considerably over the years.

The year 2018 even recorded a record: with exactly 1200 units in total, never so few Swiss banknotes were counterfeited. The nominal value of this money amounts to 208,140 francs. In 2001, it amounted to more than 65 million, in 2003 to 18 million and in 2013 to almost half a million.

Resistant to counterfeiting

The vast majority of last year's counterfeits were made using an inkjet printer (87.9%). The other tickets were produced by color copiers, among others.

In its annual report, the Federal Office of Police gives two explanations. On the one hand, Swiss banknotes are "very resistant to counterfeiting". On the other hand, the Swiss money market is small. False euros and dollars are therefore much more attractive, writes fedpol.

However, it is hard to say if the trend will continue: "It is very difficult to make forecasts," said the office at Keystone-ATS. "Counterfeiting offenses are very volatile. New, higher quality printing devices could again lead to a sudden increase in counterfeits.

Fake coins better detected

As the number of counterfeit bills plummets, the number of counterfeit coins increases sharply. Last year, 6512 counterfeit coins of five francs were seized. In comparison, in 2006 and 2007, only 17 and 6 counterfeits respectively were withdrawn from the currency in circulation by fedpol.

According to the Office, this increase can be explained by the use of increasingly modern devices in the processing of payments and cash. These devices would be better able to recognize counterfeit coins and withdraw them from monetary transactions.

When they know or suspect the existence of counterfeit coins or notes, the police, banks, post offices or other institutions pass them on to fedpol. The public prosecutor of the Confederation then opens criminal proceedings.