€2 Coin / South African Currency (RAND) Scam

friendface · 12-01-2010 05:38PM #1

I've just recently become aware of south african currency showing up here in Ireland. I was given a 5 RAND coin in change somewhere but didn't notice at the time that it was not Euro currency as the 5 Rand coin looks extremely similar to the €2 coin (same size, colour etc). I presume I was given this in change at a nightclub where the differences would be easily missed due to poor lighting.

A few of my friends have also been given the coin in change and weren't aware of it until they later tried to use it. Has anyone else had similar experiences. It could be more common than we realize. Also, the 5 Rand coin which resembles the €2 coin is actually only worth 46 cent at the current exchange rate.

Here is a picture of the 5 RAND coin. Compare this to our €2 coin

Doyler92 · 12-01-2010 05:40PM

friendface wrote: »

I've just recently become aware of south african currency showing up here in Ireland. I was given a 5 RAND coin in change somewhere but didn't notice at the time that it was not Euro currency as the 5 Rand coin looks extremely similar to the €2 coin (same size, colour etc). I presume I was given this in change at a nightclub where the differences would be easily missed due to poor lighting.

A few of my friends have also been given the coin in change and weren't aware of it until they later tried to use it. Has anyone else had similar experiences. It could be more common than we realize. Also, the 5 Rand coin which resembles the €2 coin is actually only worth 46 cent at the current exchange rate.

Here is a picture of the 5 RAND coin. Compare this to our €2 coin

I reckon most people here would know what the average €2 coin looks like.

jhegarty · 12-01-2010 05:40PM

Chose your AH response :

1)
Racist.

Why does it matter that coin was African ?

2)
Those scamming African coin's coming over here and getting free cars and houses.

Dancor · 12-01-2010 05:40PM

Does it work in cigerette machines?

Cool Running · 12-01-2010 05:42PM

Keep it for the World Cup...................................oh wait were not invited, thanks Mr.Henry

phasers · 12-01-2010 05:42PM

I've a friend who gets loads of Thai coins when she's there to use in vending machines

scudzilla · 12-01-2010 05:43PM

I bet there's gonna be some really intellectual Frenchman who goes to the World Cup in June with a sack full of 2 Euro coins hoping to rip them off :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Quazzie · 12-01-2010 05:44PM

The Turkish currency is really close to Euro and is about a quarter value for €1 coin and €2 coin. Both work in slot machines here in Ireland and there is about €40 worth in circulation thanks to me

Overheal · 12-01-2010 05:45PM

jhegarty wrote: »

Chose your AH response :

1)
Racist.

Why does it matter that coin was African ?

2)
Those scamming African coin's coming over here and getting free cars and houses.

Uhm, I dont see whats wrong with stating the origin of these coins. If a Euro looked like a US quarter it wouldnt be racist to say American coins bla bla bla now would it.

Im not sure where this becomes a rant about scamming africans, except to say that there is by indication a pretty serious currency swapping scam taking place around the country.

He could have just left it at 5 Rand coin but then we'd have 20 posts about wtf is a Rand. "Its South African Currency"... "Oh, Ok."

by the way,

5.00 ZAR (Rand) = 0.463663 EUR

Piste · 12-01-2010 05:45PM

Does the Rand work in vending machines?

friendface · 12-01-2010 05:46PM

Doyler92 wrote: »

I reckon most people here would know what the average €2 coin looks like.

Just in case anyone has forgotton

We are in a recession ya know.

seamus · 12-01-2010 05:46PM

The 10 bhat Thai coin is also used for this purpose.

It's generally Irish people who are doing this BTW - they go abroad to SA and Thailand and arrive back here with a large bag of these coins for ripping off vending machines. A 10 bhat coin is worth about 20c so if you have 500 of these, that'll cost you €100, but it's worth €1000 if you're happy to be a common criminal scumbag piece of ****.

redorblack · 12-01-2010 06:08PM

The coins are all different weights so no they wouldn't work in any machines

mikom · 12-01-2010 06:08PM

phasers wrote: »

I've a friend who gets loads of Thai coins when she's there to use in vending machines

They last long time...

skelliser · 12-01-2010 06:11PM

god damn krugerrand!!!

tricky D · 12-01-2010 06:15PM

Just like the old 5 pence coins which worked in vending machines as 1 deutschmark (40 pence) back in the day.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo · 12-01-2010 06:20PM

I remember a load of these types of coins floating around when I was in school. Nothing like getting a free dinner.

irish_goat · 12-01-2010 06:21PM

Just fob it off to some unsuspecting cashier. I got a New Zealand coin that looks near identical to a pound sterling so just hid it behind 3 other pound coins when handing it over in a club. Worked a treat.

andy1249 · 12-01-2010 06:23PM

Egyptian pounds , 1 pound = approx 18c also are very very similar to Euros ,

see here

http://www.joelscoins.com/images/egypt05setb.jpg

irish_goat · 12-01-2010 06:24PM

andy1249 wrote: »

Egyptian pounds , 1 pound = approx 18c also are very very similar to Euros ,

see here

http://www.joelscoins.com/images/egypt05setb.jpg

I bet you could get a few and convince people Egypt had joined the EU.

friendface · 12-01-2010 06:44PM

Wow, I think this thread is serving more to give people ideas rather than to highlight the problem

Mr Yellow · 12-01-2010 06:49PM

The thai baht is quite an old trick. Had a friend who used to work in vending related job & he informed me most vending machines are up to date now so they no longer work with dodgy coins....unfortunately!! ha.

Aldito · 12-01-2010 06:49PM

I brought loads of these back from Turkey, they work a treat, especially if they're inbetween other 2 euro coins.

I think they're worth around 50 cent, so nice tidy profit there.

http://static.flickr.com/38/84762418_1155ebac42.jpg

friendface · 12-01-2010 06:55PM

Someone mentioned the 10 Baht coin. I just found this on wikipedia on an article about vending machines;

There is, also, the issue of using a coin of a foreign currency which has the same size and shape as the coin accepted by the machine to get cheaper merchandise and some times change that might have more value than the originally inserted foreign coin. One remarkable example was the use of Libyan coins of 100 Dirhams and 50 Dirhams denominations in Maltese vending machines in the late 1990s. The 100 Dirham coin was used in place of the 1 Maltese Lira coin which had, back then, a de facto black market value of approximately 10 Libyan Dinars and thus having a staggering value 100 times higher than that of the fraudulent coin. Similarly, the 50 Dirhams coin was used in place of the 25 Maltese Cent which meant 50 folds increase of value according to the black market price.
However, the machines were quickly replaced with new ones that could detect the difference between the Libyan and the Maltese coins, especially in touristic areas. Most notably, the 2 euro coin is similar in size to the 10 baht coin (worth only €0.25). Thus, many vending machines in the eurozone will not accept €2 coins, such is the extent of the 10-baht scam.[6]

I didn't realise it was such a problem.

deman · 12-01-2010 06:56PM

jhegarty wrote: »

Chose your AH response :

1)
Racist.

Why does it matter that coin was African ?

2)
Those scamming African coin's coming over here and getting free cars and houses.

Did you even read the post??? :mad:

Thank you OP for posting this warning. I didn't realise that the two coins resembled each other so much. PPL!! Be on the lookout!

BTW, does anyone remember when the Irish 50p coin was exactly the same as the Sterling 50p coin and only worth about 30p? Used to be great during the summer going into the NI and playing the slots. Of course, I always spent it all.

me-skywalker · 12-01-2010 07:08PM

well most vending machines in clubs now you have to get a token form the bar!!

Patricide · 12-01-2010 07:14PM

Also works with the canadian 2 dollar coin afaik.

Rented Mule · 12-01-2010 07:53PM

We used to use to old 5p coins (back in the late 70s/eraly 80s) in video games in the States. They were the same size/specs as the American Quarter (25c).

We would get 14 plays for $1 dollar (after the cost of exchange) instead of four.