Sofia, Bulgaria
Europe is drowning in counterfeit euro bills, European police said at a conference in Bulgaria this week. The adoption of the single euro currency, in circulation in 12 countries since 2002, has made trade and tourism transactions easier, but has also proved a boon to forgers, who have many more places to spend their fake bills. “They counterfeit dollar and euro bills, credit cards, traveler’s checks,” said Europol Director Juergen Storbeck. “They threaten our whole economic system.” The euro bill was designed with state-of-the-art colored inks, watermarks, and metal strips to resist counterfeiting, but criminals have already mastered the new technology.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Local elections 2026: where are they and who is expected to win?The Explainer Labour is braced for heavy losses and U-turn on postponing some council elections hasn’t helped the party’s prospects
-
6 of the world’s most accessible destinationsThe Week Recommends Experience all of Berlin, Singapore and Sydney
-
How the FCC’s ‘equal time’ rule worksIn the Spotlight The law is at the heart of the Colbert-CBS conflict
