There are currently more counterfeit euro coins in circulation in Spain.
The local police asks that holidaymakers be particularly careful when paying.
Since 2002, almost two thirds of the EU countries have been paying with the euro.
In 2023 Croatia will also be the 20th country to switch to this currency.
But what on the one hand makes shopping in many different countries easier - and in some cases cheaper - also harbors potential for criminals.
Because some foreign coins look confusingly similar to the euro - but are only worth a fraction of it.
Scammers try to cheat tourists and cheat them out of their money.
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Euro coins and notes have been part of everyday life since 2002.
But some other coins look confusingly similar to them.
© Westend61/Imago
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Fraud in Spain: Police warn of counterfeit euro coins
This is currently the case in Spain, for example.
Here the police (Spanish: Guarda Civil) warns that many lira coins from Turkey are again in circulation.
At first glance, they look very similar to the common 2-euro coin, but are worth the equivalent of just 32 cents.
¡¡Ojito!!
Estas son liras turcas
Las pasan por 2 euros por su parecido y realmente valen 0,32 €#Quenotelacuelen pic.twitter.com/cg9bAcKiI8
— Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) November 13, 2021
For tourists, the difference is easy to spot, you just have to take a close look.
The lira coin is embossed with the lettering "Türkiye Cumhuyireti" (German: Republic of Turkey) on one side, the other side has a small crescent moon above the number.
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The Guardia Civil warns not only against the Turkish lira.
The Argentine 2 peso coin is also very similar to the 2 euro coin.
However, the converted value of 24 cents is even lower than that of the Turkish lira.
And the Egyptian pound is also not at all "the treasure of Pharaoh Ramses II", as the Spanish police write.
With the equivalent of less than five cents, the loss in value is massive: "Don't let yourself be deceived!", the Guardia Civil warns here very clearly.
But here, too, the differences are easy to spot with a closer look, the pharaoh's head is a very clear warning sign.
Cuando la veas no pienses que ha llegado a tus manos una moneda del tesoro del faraón Ramsés II.
¡¡👁jito!!
cuidado es una libra egipcia.
The pasan al descuido por monedas de 2 €, pero realmente vale 0,049 €.
¡Que no te la cuelen!
pic.twitter.com/QbkPmdqrgD
— Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) October 30, 2019
Holidaymakers beware: look closely at the change
Even if it's not about huge values, a loss can be very annoying.
Holidaymakers should therefore check the change carefully at markets or when buying tickets:
Are the numbers identical (e.g. one Turkish lira when it should be two euros)?
Does the coin look familiar?
What does it say (keyword: euros)?
Paying attention to these important points can protect you from counterfeit coins.
By the way: Withdrawing money from ATMs abroad can also have some pitfalls that you should be aware of.
List of rubrics: © Westend61/Imago