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Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:00 pm
by wormcode
Just curious on other people's opinions.

Back-story:
My parents found a large amount of cash on the ground in an unmarked envelope without anything to identify it other than a bank stub with no identifying names other than the bank name. They kept it. My mother ended up telling me about it the next time we spoke, and I told her she should attempt to return it. She hesitated telling me at first because she already knew I would bug her about it. She said if she handed it to the customer service people at the place she found it (large foods store), the person would most likely just keep the cash themselves. She had a point there.

But my advice was to leave a note on the board they have there (for services like selling items, dogsitting etc) and to notify the shop with info that the person who lost it should contact her and describe the amount of money, and any other identifying clues. Saying the exact amount of money and mentioning the bank name would be enough for me to give it back to them. It would be cool if they offered a finders fee, but I would expect nothing.

How about you?

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:04 pm
by knell
How much are we talking about here...

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:07 pm
by pikeymobile
i'd keep it cos i'm not a dick head who pretends to be altruistic

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:09 pm
by Ba-zinga
it matters. if it's over 100 bucks, then yeah I would probably return it, I have before...but if it's something like 5 bucks or 20 bucks I'd just keep it

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:09 pm
by wormcode
knell wrote:How much are we talking about here...
It was a little under 1k, I don't recall the exact amount she told me, but it was quite a bit... I wouldn't give much thought to finding a tenner on the ground haha.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:09 pm
by Clean
If there is nothing to identify it, I would keep the cash, but then again, if there was a really significant amount of money in it. I may think twice about keeping it.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:10 pm
by Shum
That situation sounds proper dodgy. :lol:

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:10 pm
by Cubicle
knell wrote:How much are we talking about here...
ye how much?
Considering your mom hesitated I bet it's quite the amount.

Put yourself in the person who lost its place.

It's your choice, I however would try to return it. Do whatever your gut tells you, no one will judge you.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:10 pm
by Dead Rats
Unmarked envelope. Keep that shit.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:11 pm
by Ba-zinga
wormcode wrote:
knell wrote:How much are we talking about here...
It was a little under 1k, I don't recall the exact amount she told me, but it was quite a bit... I wouldn't give much thought to finding a tenner on the ground haha.

ho shit yeah i would attempt to return it with information i had

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:11 pm
by wormcode
pikeymobile wrote:i'd keep it cos i'm not a dick head who pretends to be altruistic
Yeah if it wasn't so much I would agree, but I kept thinking 'losing this could get someone booted out of their home'. But yeah it could also have been spent on crack for all I knew.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:12 pm
by Shum
around a grand!? blackmail your mum so she'll give you a cut bro.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:15 pm
by AxeD
Was it a white envelope? If so, it's probably mine mate.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:18 pm
by Dead Rats
AxeD wrote:Was it a white envelope? If so, it's probably mine mate.
Yeah, with HSBC...or Natwest? It's one of the two, I can never remember.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:19 pm
by wormcode
AxeD wrote:Was it a white envelope? If so, it's probably mine mate.
Haha yeah that's the one. I'll put an extra 50 and send it your way, I owe you anyway!

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:21 pm
by DRTY
I'd do the notice board ting. If I lost something I'd expect someone to do the same.

Although if there was no bank slip then I would keep it. The bank slip suggests it's honest money.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:24 pm
by AntlionUK
Coke binge.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:25 pm
by Duffman
Sounds like a failed pigeon drop scam lol
In the pigeon drop scam, swindlers work in pairs or teams. One befriends an unsuspecting consumer, the "pigeon," while the other approaches them with an envelope money he claims to have just found.

After some rehearsed conversation, the con artists agree to split the money three ways with you and arrange to meet at a lawyer's office or somewhere else of their choosing.

But can they trust you, they ask. To get your share, you'll need to put up some "good faith" money, which they will return to you after the goods are divided.

To prove yourself trustworthy, you turn over a large sum of money to them and later go to meet them at the designated spot. Soon after arriving, you realize the pair is long gone -- and so is your money.

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:36 pm
by dj nation
id probably just keep it n feel really guilty haha, im broke pretty much all the time tho

Re: Finding a significant amount of cash: keep or return?

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:38 pm
by pikeymobile
i would spend it all on drugs and food and would have zero regrets