A flood of fake euros

In the first six months of 2009, 413,000 fake euro bank notes were taken out of circulation — an increase of 17% over the same period last year — which has prompted [De Standaard](http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=3R2CLB5S&word=recordbedrag+valse+euro%27s) to lead with the headline, "A record haul." The European Central Bank does not believe that the increase in the amount of fake currency is a cause for concern, because the number of genuine bank notes in circulation has also increased — and forgeries only account for 0.0032% of bills in circulation. It is a view that is not shared by the Flemish daily: "The number of banknotes in circulation has increased by approximately 12.5% over the last two and a half years, and that is much less than the increase in the number of forgeries intercepted, which has risen by 56%." It then wonders if the increase in seized bills is linked to more efficient police investigations, or an increase in the number of forgers. The ECB has not detected any new forging methods, and according to De Standaard this "is welcome news." In the course of the first six months of 2009, three counterfeiting organisations were successfully apprehended in Italy, Poland and Bulgaria. The daily also warns it readers "that if you are unlucky enough to find yourself in possession of a forged banknote, you should turn it over to police as soon as possible." Unfortunately, "there is no system for reimbursement."