CORAL SPRINGS, Florida. – The owner of a Broward County restaurant is upset because she said a customer paid at the register with a fake $100 bill.
Open only three months, 3 Natives Acai and Juicery is new to Coral Springs, so when a woman ordered a smoothie and handed over a fake $100 bill, it really left a sour taste.
It happened on January 2.
The unidentified woman is at the register and, according to staff, she ordered a smoothie, handed the cashier a $100 bill, took almost $90 in change and left without her order.
Owner Babe Caruso said it was a little strange.
“My team alerted me, so I got the cameras out and we knew who it was,” she said.
Caruso said the restaurant manager then withdrew the money the woman allegedly gave. At first glance it seems real, until you look closer.
“If you look in the upper right corner, it says ‘For Theatrical Use Only,'” she said.
The woman didn’t stop there.
She is seen on video returning to the restaurant two days later and trying to order again with cash in hand.
The employee tells her he no longer accepts $100 bills and she leaves.
Caruso said they haven’t seen her since and that they had a message for the woman.
“Don’t be silly, we’re a small business,” she said. “It’s hard enough right now, we can’t lose this.” Kiss your mother, do better in life.
Both times, the woman came in a silver or gray sedan.
Caruso says she wanted to share her story so other businesses in the area can be vigilant about not falling victim to this type of crime.
Anyone with information or who thinks they recognize the woman in the video is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
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