The bank of Uganda has just released new currency notes with improved security features meant to beat the rampant forgeries currently circulating in the market. The bank of Uganda governor, Emmanuel Mutebile, has been quoted:
“Uganda is the first country in Africa to introduce ultra –modern security feature called SPARK,”
Unfortunately, just a few days since the colourful launch of the new currency notes on the market, counterfeit notes are being distributed all over the country by unscrupulous businessmen. Most people have not seen any of the new notes yet, making it extremely difficult to separate the genuine from the fake notes. Not even the world’s largest commercial security printer, De la rue, who printed the notes could prevent this.
In Gulu and Mbarara, millions of counterfeit notes have been found being circulated in the villages by scammers like this man. Bank of Uganda advises the public to arm themselves with enough knowledge about the new security features on the notes to prevent from being scammed. Unfortunately, this message gets out to only urban and mostly literate people in the towns leaving the poor and illiterate majority in the villages to fend off scammers by themselves.
