America 1919-Chapter 954 - 325, Portugal Counterfeit Money Case_3

Additionally, United States Logistics would deliver newspapers purchased from various European countries to Donnie after every arrival in the United States.

Although the timeliness had been significantly reduced, it still allowed Donnie to analyze the situation in Europe more thoroughly using the newspaper contents, combined with the information sent by Steve Cotting.

However, amidst these newspapers, Donnie discovered something else.

For instance, in a newspaper from Portugal, there was a small article that caught Donnie’s attention.

It described how a car dealer in Lisbon named Alves Reis, facing financial difficulties in his business, had forged a $100,000 check to acquire a local trade company named Ambaca. Reis then used Ambaca’s reserve funds to cover the forged check.

Following this, he tried to use Ambaca’s shares to help lift himself out of financial trouble. Not only that, but he also planned to use Ambaca’s remaining funds to acquire a mining company in Angola. However, before fully gaining control of Ambaca, his act of embezzling Ambaca’s public funds was exposed.

As a result, Alves Reis was sent to prison!

This piece of news was shifted to reflect the Portuguese newspaper’s critique of Portugal’s banking regulatory system.

But Donnie focused his attention on Alves Reis himself.

Because this man, much like Ponzi, was a notoriously famous con artist....

Ponzi invented the Ponzi scheme, whereas Alves Reis excelled at fabricating everything fake!

After his release from prison, Alves Reis did not learn his lesson but rather expanded and strengthened his counterfeiting endeavors!

As it turned out, the central bank responsible for currency issuance in Portugal was Banco de Portugal, and their official partnered printing company was the United Kingdom’s De La Rue Company. Whenever money needed to be printed, Portugal would send an official document to De La Rue Company in the United Kingdom to commission the printing. Clever Alves Reis, after understanding and reflecting on this, realized he could forge the bank documents and present them to the printing company in the United Kingdom to commission the printing of currency. In this way, what he produced wasn’t counterfeit currency—it was actual legitimate money. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Alves Reis thought this way and acted accordingly!

Thus, while in prison, Alves Reis diligently studied banking regulations.

Upon his release, Alves Reis crafted the persona of a special assistant to the president of Banco de Portugal. Then, with his astonishing forgery skills, he produced a fake bank document, requesting De La Rue Company to print an additional 1 billion units of currency to fund a consortium loan for Angola’s economic development.

To make it more convincing, Reis specifically noted at the end of the document, in the name of the Banco de Portugal president, that this was a "confidential mission" to be carried out discreetly. At the time, the Portuguese government itself often secretly commissioned the central bank to print money behind the citizens’ backs, so the staff who received the document naturally didn’t question the "confidential mission."

To further enhance the credibility of the document, Reis also obtained signatures from the embassies of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. He then attempted to imitate the handwriting of these ambassadors and signed their names onto the document. With everything prepared, Reis submitted the forged document for notarization.

Due to the local governmental staff’s generally lackadaisical attitude, the notary officials did not thoroughly read the document. Additionally, their trust in the persona of someone undertaking a "secret mission" led them to approve Reis’s request to commission the banknotes without question. Eventually, the document successfully obtained official notarization and seals from the government departments.

And because Reis claimed these were confidential documents, the relevant departments refrained from disclosing the matter. With everything perfectly in place, Reis carried the officially certified materials and headed for the United Kingdom without delay.

Once in the United Kingdom, he directly approached De La Rue Company’s president, Sir William, and asked him to order the printing of money. However, the renowned president of a banknote printing company was not easily deceived. Sir William immediately grew suspicious because the commission involved an enormous figure, and it was peculiar that Banco de Portugal entrusted such an important mission to an unfamiliar young man rather than the bank president himself.

After voicing his doubts, Sir William requested a confirmation letter from the president of Banco de Portugal—a challenge that posed no obstacle to the adept forger Alves Reis.

Subsequently, this batch of Portuguese Escudo banknotes was printed.

But even so, Alves Reis was not satisfied. He believed that since he had successfully commissioned the printing of banknotes despite some issues, he might as well fully acquire Banco de Portugal.

That way, wouldn’t he be able to print money as he pleased?

Banco de Portugal, like other European banks, was a privately-owned corporate bank. As long as he purchased enough shares of the bank, he could become its president.

And to Alves Reis, discovering his ability to commission the printing of money left him feeling that money was the least of his concerns.

Thus, the daring Alves Reis began his endeavor to acquire Banco de Portugal. Naturally, his actions provoked dissatisfaction among Portugal’s old aristocracy, and after investigating him, they discovered his fraudulent schemes.

Thus, the century-shocking counterfeit currency case in Portugal’s history was unraveled!

Donnie, pondering this matter, believed he had found his direction for future investment strategies...