We would all be a lot richer if we could each invent our own money but alas, that’s just not how it works (I’d be a millionaire if only I could buy stuff with high fives, sigh). Which is why officials are none too pleased with the operators of two Taco Bell locations in New York, after a worker claimed she was forced to pass fake cash to customers as change.

The mother of a 17-year-old who worked at both restaurants has filed a class-action lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on behalf of her daughter against the operators of the two Taco Bell locations, reports the New York Post.

The teen claims that her bosses “manipulated” her into handing out scammy money while worked at the counter, and is demanding $5 million in real money damages in the lawsuit.

“The girl has been quite distraught since this happened,” said the family’s lawyer, calling the fake bills “terrible” copies that were smaller than real $20 bills, something that appeared to have been printed at home and dried to wear them out.

At the heart of the scheme was a move by the restaurants to accept bigger bills like $50s and $100s, something many businesses have explicit policies against. Then, the lawsuit alleges, cashiers could pass back fake $20s.

The girl claims she was taken to task by her bosses and accused of accidentally accepting two fake bills. She claims she was told she’d have to either pay it back out of her own money or give the fake cash to customers.

She refused to continue the alleged charade after two weeks, the lawsuit claims, and was subsequently called into a meeting with four supervisors who told her undercover police officers were there to arrest her.

What they didn’t know is that she was taping the meeting, as well as another conversation allegedly capturing her bosses ordering her to hand out fake money, the Post reports.

“Fearing for her freedom and safety,” she took the tapes and a fake bill to the police as evidence.

Both the NYPD and the franchisees are staying mum so far.

Taco Bell forced workers to give out bogus money: suit [New York Post]

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