Honest work deserves honest pay.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for a Malaysian pisang goreng seller who recently went viral after falling victim to a customer’s deceitful move.
“Even small traders like me get scammed”
The incident was brought to light through a TikTok video posted by @kakemikitchen, where the roadside banana fritter vendor poured out her frustration.
According to her, a customer had paid for their food using a counterfeit RM100 note, which she only discovered much later.
She explained that the truth hit her when she tried to deposit the note into the bank and was told it wasn’t valid.
Even small traders like me get scammed with fake money,” she wrote in the in-text caption, visibly disappointed and upset by the dishonest act.
Fake note looked real until water exposed the truth
To further support her claim, the seller followed up with another video, this time demonstrating how she tested the note using water.
At first glance, the counterfeit looked almost identical to a real banknote. It had all the right markings, including the image of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which could easily fool anyone in a rush.
However, the moment she rubbed water onto the note, the truth revealed itself.
Purple dye began to smear from the surface, and blotches of ink appeared on the back. The once-convincing colours started to fade, making it obvious that the note wasn’t genuine.
Responding to skeptics, she added:
You be the judge. Does this look like real money to you? To those who said I faked this for content, I’m showing this just to prove it’s real.”
“You don’t deserve this”
Her story struck a chord with Malaysians across the country. The video quickly gained over million views and attracted a wave of supportive comments from social media users.
Many were appalled by the customer’s action and couldn’t believe someone would go to such lengths to deceive a small-time trader.
Others took the opportunity to remind fellow vendors to be extra cautious when handling large notes, especially in cash-based setups.
One user commented, “People like this make it hard for honest traders to survive. Stay strong, sis.”
Another added, “Hope your business continues to grow. You don’t deserve this.”
