Cookie Monsters In California Steal Girl Scouts’ Tip Jar, Pay With Counterfeit Cash

We really, really hope that the national trend of crimes against Girl Scouts selling cookies is one of those things that we’re noticing only because we are looking for the stories. Otherwise, these crimes are especially appalling since they’re against children raising money for a fun and wholesome organization. Last week in California, we heard of two additional crimes against Scouts.

Before the tipping wars break out again, we’ll point out that the stolen “tip” jar was actually a donation jar for Operation Thin Mint, which sends boxes of cookies to deployed members of the armed services. That makes it even worse.

Scouts selling cookies in front of a grocery store in Escondido, Calif. had collected about $40 in their jar for Operation Thin Mint when a man grabbed and drove off with the jar. Fortunately, one of the leaders wrote down his license plate number, and the alleged thief has been arrested.

“Don’t mess with Girl Scouts and don’t mess with soldiers,” one of the girls told a reporter. Yep.

Elsewhere in California, some customers used counterfeit cash to buy cookies. As we’ve described before, counterfeit money operates on the “hot potato” principle: whoever is caught holding the money eats the loss. That means that these Girl Scouts take the $100 hit, having given the people passing fake bills change. The same pair of crooks allegedly hit a different troop at a Vons grocery store.

The girls, however, learned an invaluable lesson in identifying counterfeit bills, which will serve them well if Americans are even still using cash by the time they’re old enough to hold money-handling jobs.

Man accused of swiping Girl Scouts tip jar dubbed ‘Cookie Monster’ [Los Angeles Times]

Crooks Pay For Girl Scout Cookies With Counterfeit Cash In Rancho Cucamonga [CBS Los Angeles]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist