@HiddenCashCO making Twitter friends $40 at time: Are more giveaways coming?

How does a new Twitter account get followers fast? One surefire way: Give away money. Yesterday, the folks behind Hidden Cash Boulder tweeted clues to the whereabouts of envelopes containing $40 under the hashtag @HiddenCashCO. Now, less than 24 hours later, the feed has more than 2,700 followers, and that...

By Michael Roberts

May 29, 2014

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How does a new Twitter account get followers fast? One surefire way: Give away money.

Yesterday, the folks behind Hidden Cash Boulder tweeted clues to the whereabouts of envelopes containing $40 under the hashtag @HiddenCashCO. Now, less than 24 hours later, the feed has more than 2,700 followers, and that number's likely to grow given that more giveaways are said to be on tap for today.

The hidden cash phenomenon has its roots in San Francisco. The profile of @HiddenCash describes it as "an anonymous social experiment for good.... Real Cash hidden around SF & beyond. Find the $ -- share tweetphoto + tag @hiddencash."

Number of followers on the site: 240K.

The mainstream media has caught on, too, as evidenced by this tweet:

VIDEO: In case you missed it. Alex from #SanJose finds $130 in @HiddenCash live on KTVU http://t.co/B2m0eZySNU pic.twitter.com/cGbg2Rk8iX
— KTVU (@KTVU) May 28, 2014

Yesterday, a tweet on the main feed suggested that the concept was coming to our fair state:

Our friend in Colorado just stashed some cash there. Who's in Colorado? There's $100 for you here: pic.twitter.com/HBnQuujOUW
— Hidden Cash (@HiddenCash) May 28, 2014

Meanwhile, @HiddenCashCO launched with this announcement yesterday morning:

Get ready Boulder! #hiddencash pic.twitter.com/2jjzGWh3Zv
— HiddenCashBoulder (@HiddenCashCO) May 28, 2014

Then, shortly before noon, came this....

It's our very first clue! See our town in red, white, and blue. Two wheels will make you wise. In the bottom of a basket, find the prize.
— HiddenCashBoulder (@HiddenCashCO) May 28, 2014

...followed by an even more explicit tip:

Yep, it is another clue. Find this bike and there's cash for you! @HiddenCash #hiddencash pic.twitter.com/XpANAHkGv0
— HiddenCashBoulder (@HiddenCashCO) May 28, 2014

Yep, the envelope containing cash was in the basket of a B-cycle, as documented in this tweet:

@dailycamera @HiddenCashCO @SarahKuta What a treat I found when I hopped on this B-cycle today! pic.twitter.com/LaWjw5PfKy
— Marni Ratzel (@whereismarni) May 28, 2014

Clues to the whereabouts of more cash-filled envelopes followed, none of them especially tough to figure out. Here's an example:

Who will find our last cash in place? We can't wait to see your smiling face! pic.twitter.com/S6ZNV7V5CC
— HiddenCashBoulder (@HiddenCashCO) May 29, 2014

Yep, the envelope was taped to the door of the Boulder Theater -- and Kirsten Duncan got to it first:

It's my lucky day! Thanks @HiddenCashCO

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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