ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

If you find a $100 bill on your car windshield don't touch it and call the authorities right away

There are multiple theories about cash randomly tucked under wipers, but they are all based on assumptions.
UPDATED JAN 11, 2025
Representational image showing a man enter his car with dollar bills (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | luknaja)
Representational image showing a man enter his car with dollar bills (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | luknaja)

Things that seem too good to be true often are, just like cash randomly lying in the street among other unexpected places. Something very similar happened when people across the U.S. felt lucky after finding $100 bills tucked under the wipers of their cars. But soon authorities burst their bubble by warning that touching the money could land people into serious trouble and expose their cars to the risk of being stolen.

Representative image by Freepik
Representative image of a carjacking (Image source: Freepik)

The Truth Behind the Tactic

According to an ABC News report, criminals are using a new method to steal cars as part of a broader conspiracy. They are leaving fake $20 or perhaps even $100 bills on cars.

Representative image | Getty Images | Stock Photo
Representative image of cash on windshield (Image source: Getty Images | Stock Photo)

The idea is that after noticing the money from the driver's seat, motorists might step out to grab it, leaving the keys in the ignition. That's when thieves hiding nearby could jump out and swiftly steal the vehicle. Another theory shared by Autorevolution suggested that criminals were leaving fake bills for ordinary citizens to use at local businesses on purpose.



 

By doing so, they could essentially test if the fake bill can be passed off as real. In case the victim gets arrested or reported, the criminals would know that the fake bills aren't safe to use. But, if the bill goes unnoticed, the counterfeiters will know that they won't be caught.

Both of these theories are based on assumptions since there have been no reports of car theft or fake bills being detected so far.

Steps to Stay Safe

Back in 2018, a woman in Georgetown County found a fake $100 bill and reported it. As per local news outlet WMFB, the woman took the $100 bill to the bank teller to see if it was legitimate. By doing so she helped authorities alert citizens about such dollar bills.



 

The Police advised people to stay away from the money as well as their car, and immediately call 911 to report the incident. In case the car owner sees the bill after entering the vehicle, it is best to leave the area and deal with the money later. It is strongly recommended to not leave the vehicle while the key is in the ignition or if the engine is running.

Alarming Car-Jacking Schemes

Last year, the Irvine Police Department in California warned about a similar carjacking scam. In the elaborate scheme, thieves published attractive ads on social media for delivery services to lure victims.

As per an ABC7 report, criminals posted ads looking for drivers who would move cash for them in exchange for payments of up to $12,000. Furthermore, promises of discretion, stops in public places and paid expenses are made to entice victims.



 

However, instead of paying thousands of dollars, investigators revealed that the scammers took off with the victim's car. There were 11 reported cases in Irvine where victims were threatened with violence to leave their cars.

Authorities claimed that within two hours, most of the stolen cars were moved south of the U.S. border. Thus, it is best to not fall for any scheme that sounds too good to be true.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Guests on the show would run with it if they ever got that kind of money on Pawn Stars.
8 hours ago
The guest even said to keep the kids in the dark about how valuable these items were.
10 hours ago
The company had fantastic sales but a crushing debt with a high interest rate that the sharks hated.
13 hours ago
It was only Carey's second season in the show and he could have been part of a massive scandal.
1 day ago
“I won’t say anything, and you know why,” he said, with a gesture to zip his lips.
1 day ago
The ring was rescued by the guest's mother thanks to a stranger early in the morning.
1 day ago
"She blanked out. It happens to the best of us," a fan sympathized with the player.
1 day ago
The instrument originally belonged to the guest's grandfather who suffered a horrific injury.
2 days ago
The contestant's wife seemed embarassed at that point of time, and worried as well.
2 days ago
The co-founders of Dino Don got the shark that they always wanted on board.
2 days ago
One can understand why the measure is in place but the shopper was having none of it.
2 days ago
"My husband and I definitely noticed it! We had to rewind it a few times," a fan reacted.
2 days ago
All of the sharks agreed that she had a great product and the drive to be successful a businesswoman.
3 days ago
It's possible that the dog played a little part in making it easier for them to get a deal.
3 days ago
Without the help of his wife, the contestant would have gone home empty-handed.
3 days ago
The pawn store owner had a valid point since the item the guest had brought had numerous issues.
3 days ago
The contestant got the first part of the puzzle right but wasn't able to solve it in time.
3 days ago
"It's a lady's robe. A robe from 1750 is a very rare robe. The only other ones I know of this type, you'd have to go to Beijing," the appraiser said.
4 days ago
Harvey also got other hilarious answers, but nothing could match the woman's sass.
4 days ago
The Gronkowski family is famous for their contributions to America's sporting culture.
4 days ago