There was a $100 bill hidden under his windshield wipers. “Being a dedicated listener to The Bobby Bones Show, I thought someone was a #pimpinjoy for this single mom struggling with a thirsty little kid over the holidays,” she wrote on Facebook.
“That’s where my naivety kicked in. I stopped by the side of the road to pick up this miraculous money that came into my life at the right time.
The bill was placed under the windshield wipers where you had to get out of your car, walk in front and grab it (you can’t drive under the window). I opened the ticket and it read something similar to “Here you think it’s real, right?”
She came home and did some research and learned that the “prank” is a scam used by hijackers to distract the driver. The hijackers seem to put the fake money on your windshield, so you have to get out of your car to get it.
It’s the split seconds they need to jump into your car and take off. I’m sure thieves also rely on gifts you may have just bought at the store.
The scam was widely reported last year during the holiday season when authorities in Maryland alerted shoppers to beware of the new trick. Although authorities are aware that the online scam is described as an urban legend, they wanted to warn the public as a precaution.
Maryland Assistant Attorney General for Consumer Protection Karen Straugen issued the warning, saying, “We don’t want to scare people off, but we do want you to be careful.” She added, “It’s time to shop for the holidays.
This is when the criminals will come out. That’s when the crooks come out. They’re trying to get your money and they’re trying to keep you safe any way they can.”
The Baltimore County Sheriff’s Department said that while no one reported the $100 scam, there are other scams you should be aware of. They have seen accidents where car thieves hit the back of someone’s car in traffic and then jump into the victim’s car and drive it away.
Other reported schemes include scammers approaching a car owner in a parking lot, asking if they can help fix the vehicle’s “bending or bending” for a small amount of money just to make a shoddy work or extort more money from their victim.
“I’ve never thought of anything like that here, let alone myself,” Kerry says. “I’m grateful that I didn’t see the bill at first, otherwise my car and my son could have been taken inside. Someone was definitely watching us at that point.”
Be careful not to fall for this trick and try to be aware of your surroundings when getting in and out of your car!
