In Irkutsk region, the sale of counterfeit money has risen again. A fake 1000 ruble note from a gas station was found in a bank in Irkutsk. Since the start of the year, over 400 crimes involving counterfeiting and selling money have been recorded, almost 90 percent in Irkutsk. Police warn of especially high quality fakes, including 5000 ruble notes, and advise shops to install video surveillance and bill checkers.

The day before yesterday, in one of the banks in the city of Irkutsk, a counterfeit banknote with a face value of 1,000 rubles was discovered during the recounting of cash, having come from one of the gas stations in the regional center.
The discovery of counterfeit banknotes in our region is not the first time this year. Since the beginning of the year, more than 400 crimes have been registered under Article 186 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (manufacture, storage, transportation, or sale of counterfeit money or securities). This is 40% more than in the same period last year. A significant increase in the facts of selling counterfeit banknotes occurred starting in July 2012. Almost 90% of the crimes were committed in Irkutsk.
Practically all previously identified manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit money living in the Irkutsk region are under police scrutiny. Distributors arriving from other regions bring the highest-quality counterfeits, which are often impossible to recognize at retail outlets. After “dumping” the banknotes, counterfeiters try to leave the place of sale as quickly as possible. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is concerned about the increase in the sale of counterfeit banknotes with a denomination of 5,000 rubles. This problem has also affected the Irkutsk region. Fake banknotes were discovered at the beginning of summer in Irkutsk, Bratsk, and Tulun. They are made with a high quality of reproduction of security features, and it is very difficult to distinguish them from genuine ones.
For the safety of entrepreneurs and to provide timely assistance to the investigation, the police recommend equipping retail outlets with video surveillance systems and devices that can detect counterfeit banknotes.
Based on materials from the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Irkutsk Region