Kidnappers Use Laced $100 Bills to Knock Out Victims-Fiction!
Summary of the eRumor:
Warnings have gone viral on social media to watch out for abductors who lace $100 bills with a chemical that knocks out their victims on contact.
The Truth:
This is a hoax.
There haven’t been any credible reports of abductors lacing $100 bills with a chemical that knocks out their victims.
Police in Clarksville, Tennessee, actually investigated the claim after a number of residents shared the post. Their investigation didn’t turn anything up, according to a Facebook post that begins, “Social Media HOAX Alert! If you receive a post about a $100 bill laced with chemicals and then placed on vehicles, it is a HOAX!”
Police said they investigated the claim after a woman in Clarksville reported that she had been the victim of this scam at a Burlington Coat Factory there. Turns out, there is no Burlington Coat Factor in Clarksville. Police also said they weren’t aware of any chemicals that are strong enough to knock a person out on contact, so this one is a hoax.
But that doesn’t mean you should grab a $100 from your windshield if you see one there. This eRumor is very similar to actual reports of car thefts that occurred after a driver stopped to grab a $100 bill that had been placed on the windshield, a Fox News affiliate reports:
“That scam works like this: After getting in your car, you find a crisp $100 bill on your windshield. When you get out of your car to retrieve your gift, there is a scammer waiting around the area and rushes into the driver seat of your car. You are left without a car, and who knows if you’ll still have that $100 bill. These scams have been reported most recently in Las Vegas and Maryland.”
Some windshield advertisements are also fashioned to look like $100 bills to help them get noticed. So, if you see a $100 bill on your windshield, it’s probably best to leave it there until you get home.