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Counterfeiters are wreaking havoc in Munich's city center!
Current developments on counterfeiting money in Munich: The police are investigating while fraudsters are spreading false 500 euro notes.
Counterfeiters are wreaking havoc in Munich's city center!
A gang of counterfeiters has been making the rounds through downtown Munich lately. According to ARD Mediathek, the criminal police are looking for the perpetrators, but cannot prevent Irmi Bartl from being foisted with a false 500 euro note. These schemes are not only annoying for retailers, but could also easily lead to larger fraud, as recent rulings show.
At the well-known Viktualienmarkt, Xaver Bartl and Felix Kandler stand at the Elfi Pollinger stand. They are concerned about whether Elfi will continue to rent out her stand, as Xaver has a sinking feeling that she may not return. Earthly pleasures aren't neglected either: money counterfeiter Sandor Malek flirts with Moni Riemerschmidt and persuades her to go out for dinner, while Irmi is simultaneously planning an evening with Felix, whom she has her eye on.
Judgments against counterfeiters
The judiciary has now responded to these activities. A 32-year-old man was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by the Süddeutsche court. 500 euro notes were found on him, which were classified as genuine by a money counting machine. This man had connections to the narcotics and red light scene and was obviously keenly interested in counterfeit banknotes, also known as “blossoms”.
What's impressive is that his counterfeits had many of the features of genuine banknotes, such as watermarks and holograms. Often the counterfeits are so good that even money counting machines can recognize them. During a check on the A8 motorway, two of these counterfeit notes were discovered and the police tracked down the defendant's machinations.
How do you recognize counterfeit money?
Combating counterfeit money crime is a challenge that has spanned the centuries. As [BKA](https://www.bka.de/DE/ UnserAufgabe/Deliktsbereich/Falschgeldkritikitaet/falschgeldkritik_node.html) explains, this type of crime is almost as old as money itself. Cash is more than just a means of payment; it reflects the economic and political values of a state. The German Bundesbank has responded by integrating security features into banknotes to make counterfeiting more difficult.
Although the quality standards of counterfeits often cannot match genuine banknotes, many of them are good enough not to be immediately detectable. The Federal Criminal Police Office takes the fight against internationally organized counterfeiting very seriously, as the crime is widespread worldwide. There are also clear legal regulations that punish counterfeits accordingly, which means that even less serious cases should not be taken lightly.
It remains to be seen how the Munich criminal police plan to stop the counterfeiters. Until then, citizens need to pay attention to the banknotes and act immediately if they suspect anything!