Fake Ghana new currency notes in circulation

The raging rumours surrounding fake currency notes of the new Ghana cedis before it was introduced must not b taken lightly as evidences have proven them to be true.

Upon hearing of rumours of fake new Ghana cedi notes around the Dansoman Sahara Total Filling station in Accra during the week, the Sunday World team went to verify from the station whether it had any fake currency notes in its possession as evidence.

Though the pump attendants were reluctant initially, they finally gave out the fake One Ghana Cedi note (GH¢1) and the Five Ghana Cedi note (GH¢5) which are the equivalents of Ten Thousand (¢10,000) and Fifty Thousand (¢50,000) old Ghana cedis.

According to pump attendants at the filling station, they came to possess the fake new Ghana cedi currency notes after a taxi diver had paid for his fuel with them without noticing them as fake currency notes.

The two currency notes were later sent to the Prudential Bank at Kanda, a suburb of Accra where authorities confirmed after testing in machines that they were indeed fake new Ghana cedi notes.

Differences in the security features of the new Ghana cedi notes and their fake equivalents include the crispness of the new currency whiles the fake one feels dump like an ordinary piece of paper between one’s fingers.

Also, the see through features of the fake notes are either absent or do not come out clearly as they do on the original.

Whiles the iridescent bands embedded in the original new Ghana Cedi notes are shiny with a silvery surface, those on the fake new Ghana cedis are dark or black.

Identifiably missing in the fake currency is the hologram embedded in the original new Ghana cedi notes.

The sizes of the currencies also differ as the original notes are larger than the fake ones.

Another difference also showed line drawn where the edges of the fake GH¢5 (Five Ghana Cedis) should have been cut or ended, which was not cut well. This could apply to other fake currency notes as well.

It therefore behooves on the general public to check these security features properly in order to detect fake currency notes.