A Flemish police zone has issued a warning to residents that payments are being made with Venezuelan Bolivar coins instead of euro coins.

While similar in size and shape, that is where the comparison ends, with 1 Bolivar being worth about 0,0001 euro, or 11.000 times less than a euro.

Opgelet in en rond Boom:

€1 = ongeveer 750 kg Venezolaanse Bolivar-munten pic.twitter.com/srlogmR1Gt — Lokale Politie Rupel (@Politie_Rupel) July 31, 2019

We’ve noticed that the local retailers in Boom warn us about foreign coins that are very similar to the euro. We haven’t received any declarations yet, but we do want to warn people that they are checking what they get in their hands, said Joris Van Camp of the police told VRT.

One of the possible reasons for the coins coming into circulation is linked to popular festival Tomorrowland, which just ended in Boom.

In the past two weekends, we have welcomed a lot of people of different nationalities and it is possible many Venezuelans have been able to fill their belly in Boom with the local currency from there, the Bolivar, added Van Camp.

The Brussels Times