They Knew Someone Was Stealing—so They Set a $140 Trap

A social-media post has sparked a flurry of discussion and advice after a person’s attempt to catch a suspected thief led to a shocking discovery.

In the post, the user shared a photo of their wallet containing only a few single dollar bills, with the caption: “Suspected someone was stealing, so I put two 20s and a $100 in my wallet along with these singles. Then my [girlfriend] stayed over.” The implication was clear: the larger sums had vanished. Since the post was published, it has received more than 52,000 upvotes.

Newsweek spoke to Anat Joseph, a licensed clinical social worker and psychoanalyst, about what the poster might do next.

The partner quickly found himself inundated with reactions from fellow Reddit users, many offering blunt advice.

“Put a lock on your credit before you break up with her,” one person said.

Another commenter framed the incident as a necessary investment: “That sucks but one way to look at it is it ‘only’ cost you $140 to figure out you need to get rid of her,” they wrote. “Consider it a screening fee that probably saved you a lot more money and heartache down the line.”

The poster later elaborated on their predicament in the comments, revealing the emotional turmoil of the situation. “If she had told me a sob story and then asked for the money, that’d be different,” the poster wrote. “But a post-theft sob-story could not ever cut the mustard.”

The situation was particularly perplexing because, as the poster noted, “she is a pretty straight shooter.” They concluded by weighing their difficult options: “I don’t have any definitive proof and am debating between confronting her when she gets back in person, or like, putting a cam on the wallet, or just cutting off contact.”

An Expert on Trust and Betrayal

To shed light on the deeper dynamics at play, Newsweek spoke to Joseph, who specializes in complex relationship challenges, about her professional perspective.

Joseph said that the act of “testing” a partner, especially with something like planting money, signals a significant, preexisting breakdown in trust.

“It usually means trust has already eroded in the relationship—sometimes beyond repair,” Joseph added. She views this as a major red flag, “not just because of the suspected theft, but because of the breakdown in communication and emotional safety on both sides.”

Joseph said that the act of testing creates an environment of suspicion and secrecy.

“It rarely leads to clarity,” she added. “It often leads to more distance, resentment and confusion.”

Addressing the potential theft itself, Joseph said it would be a massive breach of basic respect. She advised a grounded approach to confrontation.

“I’d suggest saying something like, ‘I noticed some money was missing from my wallet after your visit, and it’s really bothering me. Can we talk about it honestly?'” This approach, Joseph said, gives the girlfriend space to respond thoughtfully.

Regardless of the girlfriend’s response, Joseph stressed the critical need for reflection on boundaries in the relationship, particularly concerning finances.

“In a healthy relationship, transparency, direct communication and mutual respect are essential,” Joseph said. “If you feel you can’t trust your partner enough to talk about a concern directly—or you fear how they’ll react—it’s worth examining whether the foundation of the relationship is solid enough to continue building on.”

Newsweek reached out to u/scum-and-villainy for comment via Reddit.