In the corona pandemic, the number of crimes involving counterfeit money in Germany has fallen. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) counts 38,234 offenses in its “Federal situation report for counterfeit money crime 2021”. According to the Wiesbaden authority, that was 16.7 percent less than a year earlier. The BKA reported that the downward trend, which has been declining for years, has continued. Since 2020, cases involving counterfeit coins are no longer included in the overall statistics. The more populous federal states were hardest hit by counterfeit money crime. Despite a decline of 21.4 percent within a year, North Rhine-Westphalia recorded the most cases with 9,466 offenses in 2021. Only Bavaria (5,255 cases), Berlin (4,200) and Brandenburg (834) reported more crimes involving counterfeit banknotes than a year earlier. According to police estimates, more than half of the counterfeit money found in Germany is now being sold online, for example via encrypted messenger services or on the Darknet.
BKA figures – fewer cases of counterfeit money – economy
