A photo of a man who had just purchased a new car with $30,000 in cash is drawing controversy online after people noticed a small detail in the picture.
The unidentified Florida man, who reportedly had his friend snap a picture of him sitting in his new car, bragged that not only did he pay $30,000 in cash for the car but that he also had some cash left over after the purchase. He is seen in the photo sitting in the driver’s seat of the car holding up a wad of cash to the camera. The picture was posted to the photo-sharing site Imgur on June 11.
An open wallet is also seen in the man’s lap, and inside the wallet is what appears to be a blue Access card. Access is Florida’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program, which provides welfare benefits to the state’s needy residents.
Social media commenters responding to the article on Facebook condemned the man and expressed their belief that he may have cheated the welfare system in order to buy the new car.
“I bet when the Florida welfare office sees this he won’t be on welfare for long!” one poster wrote. “And he should have to pay back every dime he collected! Plus about 35 years in the federal pen!”
“It’s not that he’s stealing from you and me that pisses me off the most,” another commenter posted. “He’s stealing from people who actually need help.”
Other commenters warned people to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions.
“[Let’s] not judge him until we find out where he got the money, and if he qualified for that card,” one poster wrote. “For all we know he might have won at the casino or something.”
The article, which was posted to Facebook on June 12, has been shared over 500 times in one day.