The State Criminal Police Office in Magdeburg reports a significant decline in counterfeit currency, with banknote seizures dropping from 1,104 to 723 cases. This regional trend mirrors a nationwide decrease in Germany, where the total financial damage from fake euros fell to approximately 4 million euros last year.
Shift in Denominations
While 50-euro notes remain the most common fakes at 43%, seizures of 100-euro counterfeits doubled to 23% of the total share.
Rise of Play Money
Altered banknote images, often sold online as 'movie money,' accounted for 76% of seizures outside of official payment transactions.
Coin Counterfeiting Plummets
The number of fake coins seized in the region fell by 60%, with 2-euro pieces making up nearly all detected counterfeit coinage.
Counterfeit banknotes seized in Saxony-Anhalt fell by roughly one third in 2025, with the State Criminal Police Office in Magdeburg recording 723 counterfeit notes with a total value of approximately 41,500 euros, down from 1,104 notes worth 78,500 euros in 2024. Counterfeit coins fell even more sharply, dropping by about 60 percent from 3,400 pieces in 2024 to 1,350 in 2025, with the total coin value declining from around 6,700 euros to 2,650 euros. The figures place Saxony-Anhalt in line with a broader national trend, as the Bundesbank reported that police, retailers, and banks across Germany seized 67,963 counterfeit euro banknotes in 2025, a 6.1 percent decrease compared to the previous year. The nationwide financial damage from counterfeit euro notes fell from 4.5 million euros in 2024 to approximately 4 million euros in 2025.
723 (counterfeit notes) — Saxony-Anhalt seizures in 2025, down from 1,104
Counterfeit money in Saxony-Anhalt: 2024 vs 2025: Counterfeit banknotes seized (before: 1,104 notes (78,500 euros), after: 723 notes (41,500 euros)); Counterfeit coins seized (before: 3,400 pieces (6,700 euros), after: 1,350 pieces (2,650 euros)); Germany-wide banknote seizures (before: ~72,400 notes (4.5M euros damage), after: 67,963 notes (4M euros damage))
50-euro notes dominate, but 100-euro fakes surge sharply Counterfeit 50-euro banknotes remained the most commonly seized denomination in Saxony-Anhalt, accounting for 43 percent of all seized notes in 2025, the same dominant position they held the previous year. Counterfeit 20-euro notes showed a slight increase, rising from 19 percent of seizures in 2024 to 24 percent in 2025. The sharpest shift was seen in 100-euro counterfeits, which more than doubled their share from 11 percent in 2024 to 23 percent in 2025. Among counterfeit coins, 2-euro pieces accounted for 96 percent of all seized fake coins. The LKA spokesperson noted these denomination trends without providing a specific explanation for the surge in 100-euro fakes.
50-euro: 43, 100-euro: 23, 20-euro: 24
Three major seizures linked to online "play money" sales Three larger cases in Saxony-Anhalt each involved seizures in the high four-digit or five-digit euro range, all involving a category known as altered banknote images. Authorities found 8,850 euros in Arneburg in northern Saxony-Anhalt, 11,350 euros in Staßfurt, and 17,370 euros in Gardelegen. The LKA noted that such materials are predominantly distributed via internet marketplaces, often marketed as so-called "play money." „Nevertheless, in cases where they can be mistaken for real money, are put into circulation as real money or are intended to be put into circulation as real money, they are then to be regarded as counterfeit money under German law.” — LKA Saxony-Anhalt via N-tv In 2025, altered banknote images accounted for 27 percent of counterfeit money cases within payment transactions, and for 76 percent of seizures outside of payment transactions.
76 (%) — Share of altered banknote images in seizures outside payment transactions
Passing on a fake note carries up to five years in prison Despite the overall decline in counterfeit money, the number of criminal cases involving the circulation of fake currency in Saxony-Anhalt remained broadly stable, with police recording 432 cases in 2025 compared to 455 in 2024 and 212 in 2023. The number of suspects rose slightly, from 255 in 2024 to 275 in 2025. Cases of actual money counterfeiting — as opposed to circulation — were fewer, with 11 cases and 10 suspects recorded in 2025, down from 14 cases and 11 suspects in 2024. Authorities warned that anyone who unknowingly receives a counterfeit note bears the financial loss themselves, as fake currency is not replaced. Attempting to pass counterfeit money on to another person constitutes a criminal offense under German law, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine. The LKA advised that counterfeit banknotes should be handed over to police or banks.
Germany has seen fluctuating counterfeit currency figures in recent years. According to the Bundesbank, the 2025 decline came after three consecutive years of partly sharp increases in counterfeit money seizures nationwide. The Bundesbank, headquartered in Frankfurt, is the authority responsible for monitoring currency integrity in Germany and publishes annual reports on counterfeit euro banknotes. Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germany's eastern federal states, with the LKA in Magdeburg serving as the lead authority for criminal statistics and investigations at the state level.