A new mobile app launched by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has been designed to help people recognise counterfeit banknotes and prevent them from falling victim to scams.

DNB app able to recognise counterfeit banknotes

Developed and launched by the central Dutch bank, the Check je biljet (“check your bill”) app works using the camera function on smartphones, scanning banknotes to determine whether or not the bill is counterfeit. Users merely need to place the bill on a flat surface and scan it via the app using the camera on their phone. The app then compares the image to the DNB’s image database.

According to DNB, over 26.000 counterfeit bills were found in the Netherlands in 2021 alone, most of which were fake 50-euro notes. While “the chance that someone will get hold of a counterfeit banknote is very small,” DNB hopes that the new app will reduce the number of people who unknowingly end up with counterfeit bills in their wallets.