Police warn of forged 100-franc bills

Forged banknotes have been circulating at this year's Ticino carnival Keystone

The hectic Ticino carnival is proving to be a fertile ground for forgers, who are cashing in fake 100 franc bills, authorities have warned.

The cantonal police said phoney currency is now circulating in Bellinzona after being found in several other carnivals in central Switzerland and canton Solothurn earlier this week.

Police said the paper and the copies were of “relatively good quality”, which has helped the swift and initially undetected distribution of the blue notes.

The latest forgeries appear to have passed from the hands of their authors in poorly lit, packed party tents during the festivities.

Targeting popular events

Police blame the sudden appearance of fake bills across country this week on carnival celebrations, which pool large groups of people, thus providing easy distribution for forgers.

Police said the sums involved remain fairly modest and have not exceeded a few thousand francs.

Reliable authenticity checks can only be carried out with the aid of an ultra violent light; however, in many cases the forgery is relatively easy to detect and would not pass inspection in normal lighting.

In canton Obwalden police said many of the fake bills were easily recognizable by their smooth surface. However, in the midst of the fun and celebrations this discrepancy generally went unnoticed.

Canton Schwyz police said on Sunday that forgery, in general, was on the rise in the canton.

swissinfo with agencies