- Location: Jena-Winzerla (Supermarket)
- Date: Thursday evening, 19.02.2026 (Discovery)
- Incident: Seizure of counterfeit money during cash register audit
- Status: Investigation ongoing, suspect unknown
Jena. On Thursday evening, counterfeit money surfaced once again in the Jena district of Winzerla. A supermarket employee demonstrated a trained eye by identifying a forgery during a routine cash register check. The Landespolizeiinspektion Jena has launched an investigation and is currently examining potential links to previous incidents.
Discovery only after the payment process
The incident occurred in a supermarket in the busy district of Winzerla. According to current police information, the forged banknote was not noticed immediately during the payment process at the register, but only later during a standard cash audit in the evening. This significantly complicates the direct attribution to a specific customer.
Since the note was only identified as a “forgery” after the fact, no suspect could be identified on-site. The unknown payer had already left the store by that time. The denomination of the seized counterfeit money was not initially specified in the first report.
Possible series: Connection to fast-food restaurant being examined
The find in Winzerla does not appear to be an isolated case. Investigators from the Landespolizeiinspektion Jena are drawing parallels to another recent case. As the police announced, the initiated investigation also includes the question of whether this matter is related to counterfeit money found in a fast-food restaurant.
Should this suspicion be confirmed, it could indicate a local cluster where businesses with high customer turnover in Jena are being specifically targeted to circulate counterfeit money. Especially in hectic situations at the register, fraudsters often hope that staff will not thoroughly check the security features.
How to recognize counterfeit money: The “Feel-Look-Tilt” principle
In light of the current incident in Jena, the police advise caution. Both retailers and private individuals should examine cash closely. The Deutsche Bundesbank recommends the proven “Feel-Look-Tilt” principle for this purpose:
- Feel: Banknote paper has a special “crisp” feel. Additionally, parts of the printed image on the front are slightly raised and can be felt with a finger.
- Look: When holding the note against the light, the watermark, the security thread, and the see-through register become visible. These features are integrated into the paper, not printed on it.
- Tilt: When moving the banknote, certain elements change, such as the hologram or the emerald number, which shifts its color.
If you receive or recognize counterfeit money, do not pass it on under any circumstances – doing so would make you liable to prosecution. Instead, notify the police immediately.
Outlook
The criminal investigation department is now evaluating evidence and hopes to obtain clues about the distributor(s) of the counterfeit money through potential video recordings or witness statements. Business owners in the Jena area, particularly in Winzerla, are urged to re-sensitize their checkout staff to the issue.
Source:
Police News Jena, 20.02.26: Counterfeit money seized
Transparency Note: This article was automatically generated, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.