فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Rabat – November 26, 2025
Bank Al-Maghrib reported in its 2024 annual report on “Financial Market Infrastructure and Payment Methods” the continued decline in the counterfeiting of Moroccan banknotes, with the counterfeit rate decreasing from 5.3 per million notes in circulation in 2018 to only 1.5 in 2024. This improvement is attributed to ongoing efforts to enhance security features of banknotes and improve detection mechanisms in sorting centers and banks, contributing to limiting counterfeiting attempts and strengthening confidence in the monetary system.
Key Detection Figures:
- Number of counterfeit notes discovered: 4,495 notes, with a total value of 635,910 dirhams, compared to 836,650 dirhams in 2023 (a decrease of approximately 24%).
- This number is significantly lower than pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, which reached 9,575 notes in 2019.
- Distribution by denomination: The 200 dirham, 100 dirham, and 50 dirham denominations saw a slight increase in relative share:
- 200 dirham denomination: 58% (up from 54% in 2023).
- 100 dirham denomination: 17% (from 16%).
- 50 dirham denomination: 13% (from 11%).
- 20 dirham denomination: decreased to 12% (from 19% in 2023).
- Most targeted series: The 2012 series accounted for 91% of counterfeit notes (up from 81% in 2023), while counterfeiting attempts of the new series (issued in 2023) did not exceed 3%, demonstrating the effectiveness of security updates in the newer series.
Prevalent Counterfeiting Techniques:
- Photocopying and color printing accounted for 90% of cases, reflecting counterfeiters’ reliance on relatively primitive methods that are easily detected by automated devices in banks and sorting centers.
Foreign Currency Counterfeiting:
- 343 counterfeit foreign banknotes were detected in 2024 (up from 308 in 2023), with the euro dominating at 71% (from 51% in 2023), followed by the dollar at 25% (from 35%).
This report demonstrates the success of preventive measures taken by Bank Al-Maghrib, including the issuance of a new security-enhanced series in 2023 and strengthened cooperation with banks to monitor circulation. However, the report recommends continuing public awareness campaigns to detect counterfeit notes, especially in the most targeted denominations.
