Hidden Cash Copycat Comes To Chicago

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 2, 2014 4:40PM

Image via @HiddencashChi/Twitter

The person or persons behind the Hidden Cash Twitter feed have succeeded in turning the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas into giant scavenger hunts, with scores of social media junkies hanging on to every update on their smartphones looking for clues to discover envelopes filled with cash hidden across those cities.

Now the craze has arrived in Chicago. Juan Campos found $40 taped to a clothes donation box at Western and Grand Avenues last week and the folks behind @HiddenCashChi planted an envelope with money somewhere in Humboldt Park Monday morning.

Hidden Cash Chicago tweeted there are envelopes still hidden with more on the way. The feed states the best thing to do once an envelope is found and tweeted about it to "pay it forward." But this raises some questions. First, why not simply donate the money directly to organizations that could use the money instead of turning it into a publicity stunt? (Because there is an element of "look at me" happening here.)

Second, how do we know the money will be paid forward? Campos told NBC Chicago he bought someone breakfast at a Starbucks. But can the people taping envelopes across the city be assured the cash they're giving away will go beyond those who find it?