Fact Check: Did Italians throw money on streets, calling it useless?

New Delhi : A WhatsApp message is being circulated massively with the images of streets filled with currency notes. It has been claimed in the message that the Italians are throwing away their money after they found it useless in curing the loved ones of coronavirus.

Till April 1, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy was 105,792 and 12,428 deaths.

"The richest people of Italy threw the money on the roads and said that this wealth did not work in our bad times. We could not save our loved ones with this wealth. We could not save our children. The lesson is for those who value money more than humanity," reads the viral forward.

Apart from WhatsApp, the message has been forwarded on Facebook and Twitter as well.

"Wealthy Italians have come to realize how VALUELESS money is. As they throw the paper shit on the streets," wrote a Twitter user.

"Italians threw their money on the streets. They say it's of no use to them now," wrote a Facebook user.

FACT CHECK:

After we researched about the images, we found that the pictures attached to the claim are from Venezuela and at least one year old, much before than the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.

The currency seen in the image is Venezuela's old currency, the Bolívar Fuerte, which was replaced by a new form of currency, the Bolivar Soberano, in August 2018.

Apparently, the residents threw their old currency on streets as it became worthless for them.