BRADENTON, Fla. (WSVN) — Several girl scout troops in Bradenton are out over $600 and won’t meet their goal this year after scammers used fake cash to buy cookies.
According to Fox 13, the deception was discovered when the girls’ mothers were counting the day’s sales at home.
“As a mom, I went through the emotions. I was really angry at first, and then I got really sad that somebody — especially an adult — would give my child, a 7-year-old, counterfeit money,” one of the troop moms said.
Among the fake money was a $50 bill the troop had received over the past few weeks.
The group recalled instances where customers would buy a single box of cookies and ask the girls to break bills as high as $50.
Girl Scout leaders tell Fox 13 that Manatee County troops lost about $650, and they’re expecting that number to rise as more head to the bank in the coming days.
Troops are now learning from the experience and some have even implemented the use of counterfeit pens to verify that every bill they receive is authentic.
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