BREMERTON, Wash. - Someone is cheating Girl Scouts, using fake $20 bills to buy cookies. One troop in Bremerton is out $100, and some fear the fraud is spreading to other Girl Scout troops. Beneath the cheer of the annual Girl Scout cookie sale in Bremerton smolders a flash of anger and betrayal. Seven-year-old Silvia Swanson helps collect the money that funds their programs. "We get to go camping, the zoo, swimming pools," she said. But the girls found out someone used fake $20s to buy cookies. "That makes you feel really mad," said Swanson. "It's just beyond me," said Deborah Bernard, customer. "I can't even imagine that. These are little girls." Trooper leader KC Gettings made the discovery Saturday while making change. "I went to the bank, right inside Safeway, and she told me two of the $20s were fake," said Gettings. Gettings quickly left, returning with a counterfeit detecting pen. Its mark shows yellow on real U.S. currency, but the mark turns black on fake money. She discovered an additional $60 in fake bills. That brought the total to $100 Troop 40411 may make up themselves. Two of the bills even had the same serial number. Troop 40411 isn't alone; others around Bremerton invested in the pen. "Another troop has come to buy them because they noticed they were getting fake money," said Gettings. She said they're being told to stop accepting $20 bills unless they use the pen. But who is passing the fake money is still a mystery. Silvia Swanson knows what she'd do if they try again. "I'd call the cops, that's what I'd do — call the cops," said Swanson. Troop leader Gettings tried to report the crime, but the local police station is closed on weekends. She planned to file a report on Monday. In true Girl Scout fashion, the troop is learning from the ordeal. Each member will earn a "fraud badge" because they helped uncover the crime. They'll be back out, with counterfeit detecting pen in hand, next weekend. Link What a D#$%head. I hope one of the little girls catches the guy (c'mon we all know it's a dude).
Maybe that person got tricked too. If someone gave you a fake $20 bill as part of change, would you know?
I think that if I start seeing girl scouts outside kroger with counterfeit bill detecting pens, a part of me will die inside.
What kind of Fat f*** society do we live in when you can't narrow down the suspects. I mean, how many people spend $100 on freaking cookies?
I wonder if they would all be traced back to the same person, or five different people gave $20 bills. I mean it's possible for it to be the latter since I don't see why one person would buy $100 worth of girl scouts cookies. For now I will give this person the benefit of the doubt.
Girl Scout Cookies don't taste the same anymore, they taste like crap to me. Maybe they always did and I just didn't realize it.
Not to derail the thread, but another little warning... Here in Vegas (and I'm sure it happens many places), we have a lot of tables set up outside of stores - where you can fingerprint your child and buy a puzzle book or balloon animal instruction guide for about $20, saying that the money goes to charity... well it's a scam. I had my son with me an decided to "give" to charity and do this - even though I know you could fingerprint your child for free at many school fairs, etc... well while I was leaving they gave me a receipt for "tax purposes" and so I look at it and notice that on the back they had fine print saying they contribute something like 10% to charity... basically save your money and give to established causes. i still see these guys a lot near Lowe's or grocery stores and I always think about going to the store manager and letting them know that they are allowing this sort of rip-off on their property..
i was given a fake 100 back at circuit city once, it was one where I worked at. when i went to back they said it was fake, a damn good once but fake. I was able to get the money back from the store but it was a pain. but to cheat little kids out of money they are trying to raise so they can go and do things is just wrong plain wrong i dont care who, what, how, you are there are just some thing ALL people shouldn't do...this is one of them. I hope the person(s) who did this get whatever is coming to them.
That is true. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I don't know if they will be able to catch the person but I hope they will. I'm sure someone will donate $100 they missed after hearing this story. I LOVE the Caramel ones.
I remember seeing a story like that last year on the DFW news...some troop got taken by counterfeit bills. Also, it must have been two or three years ago, but I was bartending and was counting my drawer before my shift when I found a counterfeit FIVE dollar bill. I knew something was wrong when I touched it, it was way too smooth to be real cash, and when I took a close look at it I could tell that it was a photocopy...the edges were off and crooked. I wonder if the effort of counterfeiting fives is worth it? Can you pass enough of them off to make a big difference before you inevitably get caught?
I've always wanted to just use a bunch of fake 20s at a strip club. Anyway, I am craving some thin mints now.
I would say that conterfeiting money is wrong, in general. But, you're right that giving it to girl scouts seems particularly depraved.
Well I am assuming they didn't actually buy 20 dollars of cookies each time. My guess is they bought a box and got the change that was real money. Then you have a free box of cookies and some real money. I highly doubt if it was the same person doing this that they are sitting at home right now with a pantry full of girl scout cookies. Probably more like 5 boxes of cookies and 70 dollars.
I work for tips and sometimes get over $1000 in cash and I wonder why I've never come across counterfeit cash. I don't deposit this money, so there's a chance that I could get counterfeit money and go out and spend it. I wonder what percent of the money that's in flow that is counterfeit.
