Counterfeit currency and security documents

Fake currency undermines economies while fraudulent identity documents give criminals freedom of movement.

In your pocket?

We have probably all handled a forged banknote at some point, without realising it.

A passport to crime

Criminals often travel on false documents, making it harder to identify them.

Counterfeiting is a crime dating back to antiquity. Today, the scope is wider, the impact greater, the tools more readily available and the techniques increasingly sophisticated.

If left unchecked, the circulation of counterfeit currency can undermine national economies, weaken financial institutions and jeopardize people’s livelihoods. It fuels the underground economy and finances the activities of organized criminal networks and terrorists.

The fraudulent use of identity and travel documents – whether they be counterfeit, forged or simply unofficial – is a major threat to both individuals and society as a whole.

Recent developments in photographic, computer and printing technologies, along with the availability of low-cost equipment, have made forgery much easier.

To keep pace with the evolving state of the art, law enforcement needs to master increasingly technical skills. INTERPOL provides sophisticated tools, comprehensive databases and hands-on training to take the guesswork out of identifying fake banknotes and documents.