Counterfeit crime
Under counterfeit crime violations be understood against criminal law, when a reference to the counterfeiting of bank notes or coins is recognizable.
Counterfeit money crime in Germany
Value of falsifications and number of offenses
At around 5 million euros, the face value of the counterfeit bills registered in Germany in 2012 has decreased compared to 2011 (around 6.5 million euros), "which is due to the significant decline in forgeries among the 500 (-42.4%) and the 200 euro notes (-17%) should be explained "..
"Compared to the number of banknotes in circulation in Germany (approx. 6.8 billion pieces)," according to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), "the number of almost 60,000 seized counterfeit certificates is very low."
In 2012, around 36,600 counterfeit money offenses were registered by the police in Germany; this corresponds to an increase of almost 7%. Around 34,800 cases involve the production and distribution of counterfeit euros. The remaining cases concern counterfeiting of foreign currencies.
According to the BKA, “counterfeit crime does not cause any significant financial damage. However, it can contribute to public uncertainty and impair the public's trust in the security of cash transactions. "
Number, type and proportion of counterfeit certificates
The counterfeit money offenses ( § 146 § 146 ff. StGB) related to 59,611 counterfeit euro banknotes in 2012. Compared to the previous year (54,427) this is an increase of 9%.
The most frequently counterfeited were the 20 euro banknotes (22,472) with a share of almost 40% and the 50 euro banknotes (20,453) with a share of around 34% of the total number of counterfeit euro notes discovered. Compared to the previous year, an increase of around twice or 77%. The number of cases in the area of counterfeiting 20-euro banknotes in 2012 (22,472) was around double that of the previous year, and 20-euro notes by around. 77% increased significantly. In contrast, the number of cases of counterfeiting of 500 euro notes fell by 42.4% and of 200 euro notes by 17%. The BKA attributes this to "the increased checks of high denominations by means of banknote validators and, on the other hand, the decline in so-called" souvenir banknotes ", which are" available in souvenir shops in Russia and Ukraine "and" in 2011, despite the low quality, increasingly in payment transactions "Arrived ..
Even if there is only a small number of cases (1,397), the 70% increase in 10-euro notes is remarkable.
The number of counterfeit euro coins (2012: 51,888) was also around 2 percent lower than in the previous year (52,723). As in the previous year, the proportion of counterfeit coins in the total number of counterfeit certificates is 2%. The majority (78%) were 2 euro counterfeit coins.
discovery
In 2012, more than half of all counterfeit money offenses were found in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Bavaria.
Since the majority of counterfeits are not recognized by private individuals, the counterfeit euro banknotes were again recognized as false in 2012 at banks, in trade and commerce as well as at the Deutsche Bundesbank and its branches and were stopped. A smaller part of the discovered counterfeit certificates, especially the 50-euro notes, is due to the increasing number of electronic banknote checking devices in the retail trade and to the widespread special pens for detecting counterfeit banknotes. The largest part of the counterfeit coins was only discovered in the course of money processing by private money processing companies or the Deutsche Bundesbank. According to the BKA, the "issued coin counterfeit certificates were often of such good quality that they are difficult to identify without the aid of technical means".
Counterfeit crime in the EU
Euro counterfeit volume in Europe in 2012
In 2012, the European Central Bank (ECB) registered 601,167 counterfeit banknotes with a face value of around 37 million euros (2011 around 40 million euros). Compared to 2011 (667,417), the total volume of counterfeit euro banknotes in the EU member states continued to decrease in 2012 by 10% (previous year by 23%).
With 200,658 registered euro counterfeit notes, France recorded the highest number of euro counterfeit notes among the EU member states in 2012, as in the previous year. Italy follows in second place with 108,243 suspended false notes. Germany ranks fourth after Spain with 54,427 registered euro counterfeit notes, as in 2011; this is a share of almost 10% (2011: 8%) of the total European volume of counterfeit banknotes stopped in the EU ..
The face value of the counterfeit euro banknotes registered in the member states of the European Union was around 37 million euros in 2012 (2011: 40 million euros). In contrast, the value of the euro counterfeit coins at around 92,000 euros (2011: around 200,000 euros) is to be regarded as low.
Since the protection against forgery of euro bills is constantly being improved - since 2012, for example, the new banknotes have been coated with a special lacquer - euro coins have become increasingly popular with counterfeiters. In 2012, the EU Commission reported around 184,000 counterfeit coins - 17 percent more than in the previous year.
With the introduction of Europe-wide minimum fines, the Brussels authority wants to crack down on counterfeiters. The legislative proposal still requires the approval of the EU Parliament and EU states.
Type of most falsified face values in the EU
As in 2011, the 20-euro note was in first place among the euro counterfeit certificates registered in the European Union at around 40% (2010: 45%). In contrast, the proportion of counterfeit 50-euro notes increased to around 38% compared to the previous year (33%). The share of 100 euro counterfeit bills, at 14% in 2012, has only decreased slightly compared to 2011 at 16%.
In 2012, the two-euro coin was by far the most popular among coins.
outlook
According to the BKA, the manifestations of counterfeit money crime did not change fundamentally in 2012. It can be assumed that high-quality counterfeits will still come from Eastern and Southern Europe. The euro banknotes that were stopped in German payment transactions in 2012 were mostly forgeries that were widespread internationally. The technique of counterfeiters is becoming more and more perfect: “The images are getting sharper, the colors are getting better, and there is also a lot in motion with the holograms ", So the counterfeit money expert at the ECB in Frankfurt, Martin Münd.
Even if there was a general decline in the volume of counterfeit money in 2012, according to the BKA, the euro, as it is considered a comparatively stable currency and is widely used, will remain attractive to counterfeiters in the future.
The same is likely to apply to other EU countries, especially Italy, France and Spain. In November 2012, police and lawyers from 22 countries met in Budapest to develop strategies against counterfeiting.
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Sections 146, 147, 149 and 152 of the Criminal Code (StGB): Section 146 Counterfeiting, Section 147 Placing Counterfeit Money on the Market, Section 149 Preparing Counterfeiting of Money; Pursuant to Section 152, these Sections also apply to money in a foreign currency area.
- ↑ Cf. Ingo Wirth, (Ed.) Kriminalistik-Lexikon , Heidelberg 4th edition 2011, p. 199 f. ISBN 978-3-7832-0804-7 = YCfwv7hGW74C & pg = PA199
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Federal Criminal Police Office, Counterfeit Money Crime Federal Situation Report 2012 ( Memento of the original dated February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Wiesbaden 2012
- ↑ The comparison figures for 2011 were taken from the 2011 situation report, p. 9
- ↑ Increase of 17 percent: More counterfeit euro coins discovered
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung, Nov. 6, 2012, p. 25, article "The forger is lazy" by Susi Wimmer
