There were $100 bills scattered over the cliffside near Multnomah Falls, or so it seemed. From a distance, they seemed legit, and many were willing to risk their lives by scurrying dangerously off the path to get the money.
Many hikers reported discovering what turned out to be counterfeit $100 bills on Friday, August 4, prompting the United States Forest Service to investigate. A closer inspection revealed the currency to be counterfeit. Since it kept drawing attention, anyone may make a fatal error, the Portland Mountain Rescue team of volunteer climbers was called in.
On Saturday, the team descended the falls in order to gather the last piece of the fake money. Fifteen bills were discovered about 30 feet from the edge of the cliff.
How the counterfeit bills got to the brink of Multnomah Falls is a mystery.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), there is a growing practice of social media “influencers” hiding counterfeit cash in public places and then directing their followers to the locations.
The Sheriff’s Office said to avoid falling for this trend; one must remember to use one’s head and to stay on the trail. The money or prize might not be real, but even if it is, he said a few hundred bucks or nothing cannot begin to compare to the price of your life. The location of the money is typically inaccessible or hazardous. Identifying the perpetrators of this dangerous hoax is a priority.
Portland Mountain Rescue is a nonprofit organization whose volunteers are dedicated to saving lives in wilderness and other inaccessible areas. Mount Hood is the hub for numerous rescue efforts in an area spanning up to 4,000 square miles. The unit specializes in high-angle operations, including snow, ice, and rock.
The United States Department of Treasury says that at any one time, as much as 70 million dollars of fake money is circulating in the United States.
