Over 650 fake euro notes found in Cyprus last year
In 2025, 670 counterfeit euro banknotes of various denominations were withdrawn from circulation, a figure 17.1 per cent higher than 2024, the Central Bank announced on Wednesday.
It said the €50 note had the highest rate of counterfeiting in Cyprus, accounting for 45.4 per cent of the total.
The European Central Bank announced that during 2025, about 444,000 counterfeit euro banknotes of various denominations were withdrawn from circulation representing a decrease of 20 per cent compared with 2024.
The €50 and €20 notes continued to be the most counterfeited banknotes, jointly accounting for 80.2 per cent of the total.
Furthermore, 96.8 per cent of counterfeits were found in euro area countries, while 2.2 per cent were found in non-euro area European Union member states and 1 per cent in the rest of the world.
In comparison with the number of genuine euro banknotes in circulation, the quantity of counterfeits remains very low.
Notwithstanding the very small number, the Central Bank of Cyprus advised the public to be careful and to scrutinise banknotes when transacting in cash.
The Central Bank of Cyprus and the European Central Bank websites provide information on simple ways to check the genuineness of euro banknotes.