The National Reserve Bank of Tonga issued a public notice warning that counterfeit pa‘anga banknotes are increasingly circulating in Tonga and urged the public and businesses to inspect notes carefully before accepting them. Cash-only informal businesses were flagged as particularly vulnerable, and suspicious currency should be reported to the National Reserve Bank of Tonga or the nearest police station. The alert identified counterfeit TOP 100 notes (King Tupou V series) printed on clear plastic to imitate the transparent window feature, noting that genuine TOP 100 notes are not printed on plastic material. It also highlighted counterfeit TOP 5 notes (King Tupou VI 2015 series) printed on ordinary paper, and counterfeit TOP 50 notes (King Tupou VI 2015 series) printed on plain paper with no serial numbers and smaller in size than genuine banknotes; the bank believes further counterfeits remain in circulation. Information on genuine security features is available via the bank’s website and free pamphlets, and the notice reiterated that producing, possessing, or knowingly using counterfeit currency is a serious criminal offence.
National Reserve Bank of Tonga 2025-11-11
National Reserve Bank of Tonga warns of increasing circulation of counterfeit pa‘anga notes including TOP 100, TOP 50 and TOP 5 series
The National Reserve Bank of Tonga has issued a warning about the circulation of counterfeit pa‘anga banknotes, particularly affecting cash-only informal businesses, and advises careful inspection of notes. Counterfeit TOP 100, TOP 5, and TOP 50 notes have been identified, with details on genuine security features available on the bank's website; the public is urged to report suspicious currency to the bank or police.