(Business in Cameroon) – The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) officially launched a mobile application on July 30, 2025, to help verify the authenticity of banknotes circulating in the CEMAC region.
The app, called BEAC NG2020, was developed to help the general public and cash-handling professionals detect counterfeit versions of the “2020-type” banknotes, which were officially released into circulation on December 15, 2022.
“Available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store, the app allows Android and iOS mobile phone users to check the authenticity of 2020-series notes at any time. Users can compare the banknotes’ security and identification features with those shown in the app, following the usage guide,” the central bank said.
This digital tool was introduced following reports of counterfeit 2020-series notes appearing across several CEMAC countries. In Cameroon, fake bills were first detected just four months after the new notes were issued, despite BEAC’s claim that the design made them “difficult to counterfeit.”
During 2024, counterfeiters of the 2020-series notes were arrested in the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea. In the case of Equatorial Guinea, the network included not only high-ranking officials but also employees from BEAC’s national branch.
