Partner in crime: Couple makes fake currency notes, caught with ₹24 lakh cash after cheating 1,000 victims

In a true “partner in crime” moment, a couple has been accused of printing fake currency notes and was arrested with counterfeit currency worth at least ₹24 lakh.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a couple from China's Jiangxi province was arrested for cheating over 1,000 victims at local markets with fake banknotes they printed.

The SCMP report, citing Fuzhou Police, said at least five market vendors reported receiving counterfeit banknotes within one week in September 2023, which was higher than the normal report of once or twice a month.

However, it was difficult for the police to track down the suspects because of a lack of surveillance cameras in small, open-air markets and the hazy memories of victims.

Eventually, the investigators were able to track the banknote forgers with the help of one surveillance camera.

Here's how the couple operated:

The CCTV footage showed the accused woman first offering the victim a real 100-yuan (approx ₹1,185) note. However, she then said she had smaller notes and retrieved the genuine bill.

Soon after, the woman claimed she was mistaken about the small change and gave a fake 100-yuan banknote to the vendor, who fell for the scam because they only checked the note’s authenticity the first time.

What did the investigation reveal?

Investigation revealed that the woman and her husband were operating the con at farmers’ markets and had cheated more than 1,000 victims.

Officers have seized 15 counterfeit 100-yuan banknotes at the couple’s home, and the equipment they used to forge the money, including a printer, paper cutters, and ink.

They also found a large number of banknotes the couple scammed out of the vendors, totalling more than 2,00,000 yuan (approx ₹24 lakh).

The police said the couple did not keep too many fake notes, and only printed the amount they would use on a given day. They usually spent between 300 and 3,000 yuan a day while disguising their identity.

How will the couple be punished?

Under China’s Criminal Law, individuals who manufacture or use counterfeit currency can be sentenced to three to ten years in prison.

They may also be fined between 50,000 and 5,00,000 yuan (approximately ₹6 lakh to 60 lakh).

In extreme cases, the perpetrator could even be sentenced to death.