© 2026 ABC News

McCoy said that someone else turned in a stack of movie money to the police department three months ago, but police don't know if there's a connection to these bills. Nevertheless, authorities are warning Houston residents to be on the lookout for phony cash when selling items.

\"Do your homework when you're selling,\" he told KTRK. \"Try to get an idea of who you're talking to. See if they've bought things before that you can document. Meet in a place with cameras.\"

As for Malone, she says she'd like to have her $700 back.

\"A very expensive lesson learned,\" she said. \"I should have paid more attention to detail.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/houston-police-issue-warning-scammer-fake-movie-money/story?id=67511512","legacySlug":"/news/story/houston-police-issue-warning-scammer-fake-movie-money-67511512","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"08:50","publishDate":"12-05-2019","updatedTime":"13:58","updatedDate":"12-06-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"A stack of fake \"movie money\" is displayed after a scammer used it to cheat a Houston college student out of her iPhone, Dec. 4, 2019.","credit":"KTRK","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/movie-money_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"12/5/2019 08:50:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":67511512,"headline":"Scammer uses fake 'movie money' to steal iPhone","mediaAssetTitle":"NATHANSON_MONEY_SCAM_20191205","description":"The high-tech phone was ripped off in a very low-tech manner.","duration":"0:21","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191206_atm_fakemoviemoney_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["135219568","135145820","134977845"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"July 30, 2026","headline":"US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","section":"News","slug":"/video/135219568","id":"135219568","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 28, 2026","headline":"Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","section":"News","slug":"/video/135145820","id":"135145820","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 22, 2026","headline":"Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","section":"News","slug":"/video/134977845","id":"134977845","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Scammer uses fake 'movie money' to steal iPhone","description":"The high-tech phone was ripped off in a very low-tech manner.","duration":"0:21","uploadDate":"12-05-2019","publication":"12-05-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191206_atm_fakemoviemoney_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/12/191206_atm_fakemoviemoney_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/houston-police-issue-warning-scammer-fake-movie-money-67511512"}},"playlist":[{"id":"135320517","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135319709","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135222489","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135236246","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135259626","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135189298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135195168","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134926667","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135120534","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134959102","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134910526","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134846473","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134848966","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134761751","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134787741","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134782596","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134741027","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134751717","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134708317","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134548164","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Scammer uses fake 'movie money' to steal iPhone","pubTime":"03:50","pubDate":"12-05-2019","modTime":"08:58","modDate":"12-06-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":67511512,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Scammer uses fake 'movie money' to steal iPhone","mediaAssetTitle":"NATHANSON_MONEY_SCAM_20191205","videoId":67511512,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/houston-police-issue-warning-scammer-fake-movie-money-67511512"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/67511512","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/67511512","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};