Surge in Australian Counterfeits from Asia

According to the Australian Border Force (ABF), seizures of counterfeit banknotes have surged in the first six weeks of 2026 compared to last year. During this period, the ABF intercepted 57 packages containing $191,130 in fake currency at sorting facilities. While these detections are not included in standard, official parts-per-million (ppm) counterfeiting statistics, they highlight a growing security threat.

Over the past 14 months, over $2.5 million in counterfeit money has been detected across more than 330 packages.

If this mountain of ‘funny money’ had made it into the hands of the Australian public, the amount of counterfeit currency in circulation would have risen by a staggering 300%. The interception of these parcels by Border Police is vital to curbing the use of counterfeit banknotes in transactions.

Most of the illicit consignments are arriving from Asia and contain bundles of ‘prop money’. These novelty notes, as discussed in last month’s Currency News™, are easily purchased online and subsequently altered to deceive the public.