Tengrinews.kz – In the first half of 2025, 96 counterfeit currency units were detected in Kazakhstan, totaling 465,150 tenge, according to the National Bank.
Of these, 93 were counterfeit banknotes and 3 were coins. The most commonly forged denomination was the 5,000 tenge note, with 85 fakes detected — accounting for 88.5% of all forgeries.
Additionally, the following were recorded:
- 5 counterfeit 2,000 tenge notes (5.2%);
- 3 counterfeit 10,000 tenge notes (3.1%);
- 3 counterfeit coins (3.2%).
How to tell genuine banknotes from counterfeit ones
The National Bank reminded the public of simple rules to help identify fake bills.
According to the regulator, counterfeit banknotes are most often produced using standard computer equipment and color printers on offset paper (in the reference photo, counterfeit notes are on the left).

Blurred microtexts that are unreadable under magnification.

Absence of a watermark.

The “patch” element lacks volume and is printed with ordinary ink. No holographic effect, such as shifting beams or denomination-to-pattern transitions.

The security thread lacks dynamic or color-shifting effects and is not solid when held to light.

If you discover a counterfeit banknote, even if it imitates the appearance of a genuine one, you should immediately contact law enforcement authorities.