An Oregon sheriff is warning of fake $100 bills that were thrown over Multnomah Falls and led some curious hikers to risk their lives by going to dangerous areas off-trail for the phony money.
The fake $100 bills were found Friday about 30 feet over the edge of the falls after deputies received reports of hikers attempting to retrieve what they thought was real cash, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Because it was causing quite a stir, and fearing that someone might make a fatal mistake, the Forest Service posted signs and staffed a ranger at the upper viewing platform,” the agency said in a statement.
On Saturday, Portland Mountain Rescue (PMR) climbers rappelled from the crest of the falls and collected the remaining 15 bills, officials said.
Officials left warning signs at the top of the falls as rescue climbers rappelled the mountainside to collect the fake bills before members of the public could get hurt. (Portland Mountain Rescue / Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)
“Some yahoo tossed a bunch of fake money off the falls yesterday and then posted in [sic] on social media,” PMR said in a Facebook post.
Rescue climbers collected 15 fake $100 bills that were thrown over the falls. (Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office / Portland Mountain Rescue)
The agencies shared photos showing that the bills all bore the marking “For Motion Picture Purposes.”
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The sheriff’s office said that while authorities don’t know if the movie prop money is related, officials are aware of a potentially dangerous social media trend in which influencers stash money or other items somewhere outdoors and leave their followers clues to recover the troves.
Fake $100 bills were tossed over the edge of Multnomah Falls, prompting authorities to warn the public against risking their lives for the phony money. (Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)
Officials warned that in some cases the money or items are hidden in “very dangerous” or hard to reach locations.
“If you subscribe to this trend, remember to use common sense, stay on the trail and know the money or prize might not be legit,” the sheriff’s office said. “Your life is more valuable than a couple hundred bucks, or even nothing at all.”
