As the cost of living increases over the years, people have been working even harder to look for their bread and butter. Although most individuals take the tiring but honest road to make a living, others take to scamming to make ends meet or to acquire what they need, even if it’s just a few ringgits.
On 5th June 2025, a Malaysian pisang goreng seller posted to TikTok about her encounter with a deceitful customer who passed her a fake RM100 note. At a glance, the note looked real until she tried depositing it in the bank and discovered it was an invalid note, to her frustration.
In a previous video, posted the day before, the original poster showcased the counterfeit note with the caption, “Even small vendors get scammed with fake money”. Receiving backlash from comments on how it was clickbait for content, she proceeded to make another video the next day to test the validity of the note with water, in which it started to bleed purple ink. “To those who said that I faked this for content, you be the judge as I am showing you the proof”, the seller adds in the video.
Netizens commented on their thoughts and how they sympathise with the banana fritter seller, noting that honest work deserves honest pay. Netizens also quip about how to spot these counterfeit notes, with TikTok user @/AizaT_AzMi commenting that RM100 notes have reflective elements on them, especially on the hibiscus flower of the note. The reflective pieces should be directly in the centre of the flower, and in this case, it was not.
The banana fritter seller’s video, which garnered thousands of views, sparked comments from netizens wishing her well in her endeavours and hoping she will continue on with better opportunities.
Watch the full video here:
@kakemikitchen Replying to @Abah Home Of Bulus
Source: TikTok
Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article
