In the German city of Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, a case of fraud using obsolete Belarusian banknotes occurred. This was reported by the local police,
writes
the website “Belarus and the World”.
Павялічыць
Obsolete 500 Belarusian ruble banknotes. Photo: newauction.ru
The incident occurred on Saturday, May 9, around 2:00 PM on Turner Street, near Friedrich-Ferleger Street. A stranger, who drove up in a car, approached a 23-year-old resident of the city who was passing by.
The man explained that his bank card was not working and asked to exchange Belarusian rubles for euros to get home with his family. The victim gave him several hundred euros and received banknotes in return. Only later did he realize that the received money was old and no longer valid, and he filed a report with law enforcement agencies.
The victim described the perpetrator as a man of South Asian appearance, approximately 160-170 cm tall, of strong build, with black hair and a thick black beard. According to him, the assailant was in an Audi Coupe with red license plates. A woman in a headscarf and a child of about two years old were also in the car. Law enforcement officers are looking for possible witnesses to the incident.
This case of fraud using old, pre-denomination Belarusian money is not unique; similar incidents have been recorded repeatedly before. Moreover, old Belarusian rubles were often passed off as Bulgarian levs.