Taiwan News
Date: 17 August, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

Police have cracked a counterfeiting operation in Yunlin County, central Taiwan. The counterfeiters were creating fake stimulus vouchers that were intended to help offset the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy.

Police make their way through stacks of NT$500 stimulus vouchers. They’d be worth about US$17 each… if only they were real. That’s right, these are counterfeit vouchers. The person behind the operation is a 70-year-old man, surnamed Su. 

Su had nearly 1,900 fake vouchers on hand, worth NT$2.5 million (~US$85,000). Authorities say that Su had enough materials and equipment to print approximately NT$370,000,000 (approximately US12.6 million) worth of fake vouchers. 

The government started handing out vouchers last month as a way to kickstart the economy. They’re as good as cash and can be used to purchase many consumer goods. 
[FULL  STORY]