Largest counterfeiting operation (individual)

The largest counterfeiting operation by a single individual was by Frank Bourassa, who counterfeited about $250 million (£194 million) in United States currency between 2008 and 2010. On an illegal print shop he set up on a farm in Quebec, Canada, Bourassa printed 12.5 million counterfeit $20 bills and sold them for 30% of their face value.

His entire operation cost $325,000 Canadian (£189,000) to set up, and he would have pocketed $75,000,000 US (£58.2 million) if successful. Bourassa was caught on 23 May 2012. He was able to use a stash of £200 million in counterfeit notes as a bargaining chip during his hearing. After telling authorities where the cache was, he walked free after serving just six weeks in prison. Because of the extent of his operation, he has been called "the world's greatest counterfeiter." Today, Frank Bourassa owns a security company and works with the police to catch other counterfeiters.