UF students are cashing in with a Twitter- based scavenger hunt.
A Twitter account, @CampusCashUF, is sending students on a wild goose chase around campus to find hidden money.
For Michael Le, an 18-year-old UF electrical engineering freshman, it all started on Aug. 27 when he saw a post on Reddit by an account of the same name.
He followed the account and got his first clue later that day. Le’s hint was a picture of benches in a building on campus. After searching, he ended up at Smathers Library.
That’s where he found a clear tube containing a $10 bill.
“I had an adrenaline rush when I found it,” Le said. “It wasn’t about the money, it was about just finding it.”
Le said he was the first to make a find. Since then, three other students have stumbled upon the hidden treasure.
Jovahn Huertas, a 21-year-old UF journalism senior, and his girlfriend Nicole Price, a 21-year-old UF anthropology senior, found their cash on Sept. 2. Their hint from Twitter was a picture of a white sticker that said “101-3.”
“It was rather vague,” Huertas said.
The clues led him and Price to a lamppost behind Norman Hall, where they found $10. Huertas and Price then used the money on Taco Bell and Zaxby’s.
Adam Jordan, assistant director of student success in the Dean of Students Office, said the account is not affiliated with the university.
When contacted, @CampusCashUF declined to comment. The Twitter handle said it plans on “going a little bigger” with the amounts of hidden cash.
The user behind the accounts on Twitter and Reddit continues to remain anonymous.
“So in the interest of making someone’s day and everyone’s love of treasure hunts, I am hiding cash on campus,” the Reddit post said. “Find it, and it’s yours.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 9/9/2014 under the headline "Mystery Twitter user hides cash around campus, tweets clues"]
