The ‘fake it till you make it’ 28-year-old who had hoped to impress his friends with his newfound wealth was arrested after police stumbled upon the counterfeit money-making operation in the sleepy village of Czarny Bór in southwest Poland.

After entering the man’s house, officers found a stash of fake 100-zloty (€23) banknotes and printouts, as well as the equipment used to create them.

A police spokesman said: “Some of the counterfeit 100-zloty banknotes were still drying on radiators, and some were still in production.

“The officers seized a total of 42 100-zloty banknotes and 51 single-sided prints of them, some of which were already ready for use.

“The detectives also seized electronic equipment used to produce illegal banknotes.

“He told the officers he wanted to have a lot of cash and show off his wealth to his friends.”

The man now faces 25 years in jail.