Speaking at a press conference held at Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Saturday evening, assistant governor Mariyam Hussain Didi stated that the central bank has received the copy of the alleged counterfeit note via police. However, she admitted that MMA cannot yet assure the public that all the forged notes have been removed from circulation. According to Mariyam, the counterfeit notes lack all security measures and were first used in transaction at a café in the Alimas Carnival in capital Male late Friday. “From what we found out, it is a very poor photocopy. The colour of that [counterfeit] MVR 500 note is very different from the true MVR 500 note. The colour is most reminiscent of the MVR 10 note,” said Mariyam as she displayed a counterfeit note and real note to reporters. “None of the security features of the new MVR 500 had been emulated in the copy.” The assistant governor had confided the differences between the counterfeit note and original note to the reporters. The counterfeit MVR 500 note lacked the grainy texture of the real note. The counterfeit note also had MVR 10 depicted in its clear window, whereas all the original notes of Ran Dhiha Faheh feature their true values in their clear windows. There were no differences in the triangle shaped design of tactile dots, for visually impaired people, on the counterfeit notes. However, the tactile dots on different notes of Ran Dhiha Faheh vary. Moreover, MMA stated that the forged copies also lacked all the UV illuminated features of the note. Ran Dhiha Faheh security features: Unique designs on the surface of each note that “shine” when tilted in different angles in light Transparent plastic clear windows on each note The “MMA” design above the clear window becomes visible under light Parts of the designs of MVR 100, 500 and 1000 are visible in a shiny ink that changes colour when tilted. The circle design changes positions when tilted Raised tactile dots in different designs on the notes to aid visually impaired people to identify each note The note’s value is visible as a watermark in the plastic clear window Noting that counterfeiting currency notes is common in every country, Mariyam assured that forging copies of polymer notes will be very tough. She repeatedly assured the public of the strong security features of the Ran Dhiha Faheh series. Introduced to mark the Maldives’ fiftieth year of independence in 2015, Ran Dhiha Faheh was first unveiled last November 1 and features the notes MVR 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and the newly introduced MVR 1000, all in different identifying colours. The new series also include MVR 5 as coins instead of the current cash note, but has not yet been released. MVR 5 will be unveiled towards the end of this year, stated MMA. Pictures of a possible counterfeit MVR500 note have been circulating on social networking sites. MMA had earlier said the old currency series still in circulation can be used until June 1 and that a period of five years will be granted to exchange them for Ran Dhiha Faheh notes. The new notes are being released from all the banks and ATMs across the Maldives.