January the 6th, 2023 - Euro Croatia is now finally here after a very long wait to introduce the nation's brand new currency - the currency used throughout the majority of the European Union (EU). There have been a few growing pains and concerns being aired as the country sends the kuna to the history books, and now we need to tackle the issue of fraudulent euro banknotes.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as the now Schengen and Euro Croatia gets used to its new monetary reality, it's time for people and businesses alike to be aware of the new dangers - the circulation of fake euro bankotes. The police have issued multiple warnings that in recent days they have received more reports that fraudsters are using movie props of banknotes in this new Croatian currency instead of original euros for payment.
In this sense, the Brod-Posavina County police have cited several cases in which fraudsters used said fake euro banknotes, on which was written: "Souvenir production", i.e. "This is not legal, it is to be used for motion props" .
To make it easier for people to verify the authenticity of these potentially fake euro banknotes, the Croatian National Bank (CNB) recommends four steps - feel, look, move, check.
People have been instruced to take a second or two to really feel the texture and relief of the banknotes in their hands, to look at it in the light (as would often be done in stores when handing money to the cashier) and checking whether or not they have a watermark and a protective thread on them, as well as a transparent number and a window with a portrait.
To verify their authenticity, people can tilt the euro banknote and check the hologram, the colour-changing number, the shiny strip and the portrait window.
There is also micro writing on euro banknotes that can be checked using a magnifying glas if you really want to go that far with your investigationsd, and additional features can be checked using a UV lamp. The police will likely continue to rehash these warnings as we go forward, and an instruction video on how to check your notes has been published on the Croatian National Bank's website.
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