Based on figures from the Secret Service, at least 1 in every 10,000 US banknotes in circulation is a counterfeit bill.

Source:  David Samuels, “Counterfeiting: Notes on a scandal,” Independent, August 24, 2009.

In some regions of China, between 2 to 4 percent of US $100 bills in circulation are fake.  These counterfeit dollars are produced in North Korea and enter China through black market currency brokers.

Source:  David Samuels, “Counterfeiting: Notes on a scandal,” Independent, August 24, 2009.

708 pieces of counterfeit currency were found in Finland in 2008.  This is higher than the 527 and 571 found in 2007 and 2008, but significantly lower than the 1,343 found in 2004.

Source:  Bank of Finland, “Counterfeits,” accessed: August 7, 2009.

The European Central Bank seized 413,000 counterfeit euros in the first six months of 2009.  The seizures figure was an increase of 17 percent from previous years.

The most common currency was the 20 euro.

Source:  Reuters, “Fake euro note seizures rise 17 pct to new record,”Yahoo UK and Ireland Finance, July 13, 2009.

The United States Secret Service seized $103 million in counterfeit dollars worldwide between October 2007 and August 2008.

Source:  “Crime in Peru: Printing money,” The Economist, May 7, 2009.

Europol seized 500,000 counterfeit euros and arrested nearly 400 people for counterfeiting in 2008.  20 illegal printing centers were also dismantled during the year.

If the 500,000 counterfeit euros were sold on the black market, Europol estimates that it would have generated a profit of 34 million euros.

Source: Europol, “Law Enforcement Agencies seized 500,000 euro counterfeits in 2008,” Press Release, January 12, 2009.

In 2008, there were more than 30 million counterfeit 1 Pound coins in circulation, meaning one in every 50 pounds is counterfeit.

Source:  Ben Ando, “Number of fake £1 coins ‘doubles’ ,” BBC News,September 22, 2008.

Source: Peter Finn, “Probe Traces Global Reach of Counterfeiting Ring,” Washington Post, November 26, 2006.

Source: Bill Faries, “Made in South America: New Breed of Fake US Dollars,” Christian Science Monitor, April 14, 2005.

Source: Bill Faries, “Made in South America: New Breed of Fake US Dollars,” Christian Science Monitor, April 14, 2005.