Man who spent £10,000 on prostitutes using fake money he printed himself – dubbed ‘so bad a blind man could see it wasn’t real’ – is convicted in Switzerland
- The man, 50, received a three-year prison sentence in Basel over the forgeries
- The fake money was used to pay prostitutes twice in July and October 2019
- The ruse was discovered when the woman’s bank rejected the dodgy notes
A 50-year-old man was convicted in Switzerland after spending £10,000 on prostitutes using fake money he printed himself.
The money was so poorly made ‘a blind man could see it wasn’t real’, according to the Basel County court president.
His ruse was discovered when one of the women tried to deposit the money into her bank account the day after mistakenly accepting the forgeries.
When the ATM refused to accept the cash, the woman, 39, reported the odd looking notes to the police.
The 39-year-old woman told Basel’s criminal court that she had accepted the strange counterfeit notes that night because they looked real in the low light of the man’s home. (File photo)
The forgeries were used twice, in June and October 2019, in payments to two women the 50-year-old paid for sex.
The man paid £1,800 in fake notes after the first encounter and over £8,000 to another woman on a second occasion.
The 39-year-old woman told Basel’s criminal court that she had accepted the strange counterfeit notes that night because they looked real in the low light of the man’s home, according to The Local.
The man’s lawyers argued she had accepted the money willingly despite it being clear the notes were fraudulent.
The second woman also noticed the £8,000 she received in cash was fake after her encounter with the man.
The man alleged she stole the large sum from him.
Prostitution in Switzerland is legal and regulated. There are several licensed brothels across the country, primarily in Zurich. (File photo)
A police search of the man’s home revealed more fake money printed on his colour inkjet printer.
The notes had no security features and, in some cases, were printed the wrong way round leaving police bemused as to why the man thought the money would be able to pass into circulation undetected.
The man was handed a three-year conditional prison sentence after being convicted of fraud, counterfeiting, and circulation of counterfeit money.
Prostitution in Switzerland is legal and regulated. There are several licensed brothels across the country, primarily in Zurich.
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