This move is a response to the growing problem of fake currency circulating in the CEMAC sub region, since the new banknotes and coins were introduced, says BEAC.
The Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC) has introduced a free mobile app called BEAC NG2020. It aims at helping users identify counterfeit banknotes from the 2020 series. According to BEAC, the app is available to download on both iOS and Android devices via the App Store and Google Play Store. This development comes at a time when counterfeit money is becoming an increasingly serious problem across Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon.
Recent reports from BEAC show that Cameroonian authorities intercepted fake banknotes worth 1.5 billion CFA francs in 2024, many of which originated in Equatorial Guinea. Similar cases of counterfeit currency have been found in the Central African Republic; prompting calls for BEAC to implement better detection tools. Designed for everyone, including ordinary citizens, shopkeepers, banks and microfinance institutions, the new app is intended for use by groups that often handle cash transactions daily.
According to BEAC, the application provides a simple way to verify the authenticity of banknotes. Users can check for specific security features with the naked eye, such as watermarks, incomplete patterns, and serial numbers and security threads. The app also explains how to verify notes by tilting them to reveal dynamic 3D patterns that change colour and security threads that move.
For a more thorough check, the app provides guidance on using ultraviolet light to reveal hidden security features such as the CEMAC map, two-colour fibres and glittering outlines. BEAC emphasises that counterfeit money causes serious harm to individuals and the economy. When people unknowingly accept fake currency, they lose real money. Widespread counterfeiting also undermines trust in the currency.
According to BEAC, the new app is part of the bank’s ongoing efforts to maintain confidence in the currency used across its six member countries that is Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo. Many users have praised the initiative as a timely solution to the growing counterfeit problem. Some have suggested an additional feature, such as camera scanning for instant verification, arguing that this would make the app more practical for daily transactions.
