‘Money, Money, Money’, a Swedish group once sang.<br /><br />But when it comes to counterfeit cash, suspected fraudsters in Italy are being blamed for 90 percent of fake euros in circulation worldwide.<br /><br />Now 56 people have been arrested after police cracked down on the so-called ‘Naples Group’. <br /><br />They say they have seized crooked currency equivalent to 1 million euros.<br /><br />“The uncontrolled spread of these bank notes can cause serious damage,” said Naples Prosecutor Giovanni Colancelo.<br /><br />“That is why the EU has long focussed its attention on the problem.”<br /><br />After a two year investigation, Italy’s Carabinieri military police pointed to a sophisticated production and distribution process involving bogus banknotes that even found their way to Africa.<br /><br />Francesco Ferace, of the Carabinieri’s Anti-Counterfeiting Unit, told journalists that a 300 euro note – a denomination that doesn’t exist – was designed by a forger from Naples and used in northern Europe.<br /><br />And as if mock money was not enough, police also showed off phony lottery tickets seized. <br /><br />Just don’t expect to win the jackpot!
