How to Recognize Counterfeit Turkish Lira Notes

Counterfeiting (printing fake currency notes/bills) is a problem in all countries, including Turkey. You need to be on your guard.

Banks in Turkey and many other countries have currency-counting machines that not only count currency notes, but test the notes for authenticity. If the machine rejects a note, the bank will not accept it. If you exchange currency notes at a bank, you’ll almost certainly receive legal notes. At a currency exchange office, the notes will probably be legal, but you should check to be sure. From a merchant, be sure to check.

From someone on the street? Your chances of receiving fake notes is high.

How to Recognize Legal Banknotes

All legal notes have sophisticated, difficult-to-duplicate security features. You should be aware of them, learn to recognize at least some of them, and examine closely any notes coming from unfamiliar sources, or in suspect transactions.

Here’s how authentic Turkish lira notes look.

If you plan to buy, exchange or use a significant amount of currency notes, you may want to buy a small, pocket UVA ultraviolet flashlight/torch to carry with you. (Inexpensive lights are sold for the detection of otherwise-invisible pet urine stains.) Be sure it’s a UVA (320-400 nm) lamp, the most common and inexpensive type, as that is the frequency of UV light used for currency security measures. UVB and UVC are used for different purposes, and will not work for checking currency.