2 Suspected of Running 'Black Currency Scam'

Pasco County Sheriff’s detectives hot on the trail of auto burglary suspects stumbled on more than they expected when they stopped the car their suspects were riding in. Now, they’re warning Tampa Bay area residents about the “black currency scam.”

The story began to unfold earlier this week when detectives were investigating a string of auto burglaries at the Hudson Walmart, Gulf View Square Mall and the Hooter’s in New Port Richey. When they spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the one the suspects’ used in the burglaries, they also noticed the vehicle had temporary out-of-state tags that didn’t match the car it was on.

Detectives pulled the car over and began to question the men inside. The men admitted there was a gun in a bag inside the car. Detectives also noticed marijuana in a grinder, prompting a search of the entire vehicle.

“More detectives arrived on scene as several items of chemicals and ‘black currency’ was located in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office announced on Facebook. “Detectives seized all of the items, including documents of transfers to different states and out of country for thousands of dollars.”

The BMW 5 series car the suspects were driving was also seized along with $9,639 in cash.

The men, the sheriff’s office said, also had receipts in the car for various locations around Florida and from other states.

The black currency scam involves a person who tells a victim that he or she is from another country and smuggled their own cash into the United States by dyeing it black to avoid scrutiny from customs officials, the sheriff’s office said. The person then tells the victim that a special and “expensive solution” is needed to remove the dye from the money to render it spendable once more.

“They have several bundled stacks of black notes that have the same size and similar texture of money, and they select some prepped money to demo the dye removal in front of the victim,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “The dyed money is a real bill with glue on it and iodine covering it. When the iodine dries it turns black, hence the ‘black currency.’ When they put the dyed cash into their ‘special’ solution the glue comes off and the money is there.”

Once the demonstration is performed, the victim is sometimes given the cash to see it is real and the scammer lets the victim spend it. After that, they hit victims up for cash to buy the materials to make the solution in exchange for some of the smuggled cash.

“Of course, once they receive the money to buy the solution, they are never seen again,” the sheriff’s office said.

The black currency scam, detectives say, is nothing new. It’s been kicking around the United States since at least 2007. While often dyed black, counterfeit cash used in scam has also been uncovered in different colors by law enforcement.

“This scam usually starts out with thousands of emails being sent out and hoping someone bites and unfortunately people do all the time,” the sheriff’s office noted.

Two men were charged in the case:

Stanton James Cooper, 28, of Louisville, Ky. He has been charged with driving on a suspended license and for being a fugitive from justice on four counts of aggravated robbery out of Texas.

Dion Scott, 27, of Lithonia, Ga. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.

The investigation continues and deputies are asking any scam victims to come forward. Victims are asked to call the sheriff’s office at 1-800-854-2862.

Photos of Stanton Cooper, Dion Scott and the “black currency scam” materials courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.