A post has been recently circulating social media platforms, warning Lebanese not to fall victim to a fake 100,000 LBP banknote spreading in the local market, identifiable by having blue security thread.
The post points out that the valid 100,000 LBP bill has green stripes instead of blue.
Claim: A 100,000 LBP banknote that has blue stripes instead of green is counterfeit.
Verdict: This is not true. The security thread can be blue or green and its color is not an indicator of whether the paper money is fake.
Context:
After the misinformative post and its accompanying picture about the color of these stripes grew more popular, the Banque du Liban released a statement putting everything in place.
The central bank explained that the circulating picture is of valid banknotes issued in 2011 and 2012 that have “a blue security thread, and the thread includes the letters ‘L.L.’ that move when the paper is bent.”
The BDL’s statement added that the other bill featured in the picture “is also in circulation since 2017 and contains a green security thread that also moves when bending the paper… The two types are [valid] banknotes.”
The central bank urged people to refer to its Cash Operations Department if they suspect the legitimacy of a Lebanese banknote instead of sharing news that “might be false and cause a state of suspicion among citizens.”
