It’s virtually impossible to make a quick buck these days — unless, of course, you live in New Jersey. A New Jersey man named Sam — known as “Mr. Cash Drop” — has sparked a trend by hiding cash in public places and posting clues on social media, creating scavenger hunts that help everyday people find money and ease financial struggles and economic hardships. Cassie Fitzgerald and her husband James were one of the lucky couples who happened to find $500 after a 60-minute search along the two-mile promenade that overlooks the Hudson River at Liberty State Park. The couple’s windfall is just one of the stories of folks who have discovered sums of cash by scouring different locations. Sam explained that he hides varying sums of cash and then posts a video teasing where the money might be. Then he waits for his followers to show up and find it. The 27-year-old isn’t some eccentric millionaire who gets a kick out of watching those less fortunate search high and low for money. He’s simply a warehouse logistics manager who duct-tapes cash to beach railings by the Jersey Shore, hides them under rocks in suburbia, or sticks them between the well-manicured bushes that line the walkways of northern New Jersey hotspots. He and his girlfriend Tina started their humanitarian hobby in late March, flying up and down the turnpike, arbitrarily selecting cities for their finders-keepers merriment. “I just do this for fun because it is fun to watch these people come out and find money,” said the benefactor, who prefers staying out of the spotlight, for fear crooks might mistake him for some sort of plain-clothes millionaire. For most of his high-stakes hunts, Sam solicits sponsorships from New Jersey businesses — such as pet shops and pizzerias — whose owners put up the big bucks in exchange for shout-outs on social media. However, the working-class philanthropist doesn’t profit himself from the stunt. For now, the selfless saint is happy to keep up the good work and says he plans to do it until the fun runs out.
