The account has garnered over 5,000 followers since its inception, and based on comments and confirmation posts from winners, every drop has been claimed. However, many students have attempted and failed to take the money in time.  

Wildlife ecology and management sophomore Mars Fagin is one of the students who tried to claim a cash drop but was too late. 

"I followed it, and most of the time whenever I would see the post, it would be a couple of days, or a couple hours after the cash drop, and I'd be like, 'there’s no way I’m gonna get this,'" Fagin said. "I saw the post five minutes after they posted ... that’s relatively close to my dorm, so I’m just gonna go for it." 

This drop was located between Erickson Hall and the International Center, and because Fagin recognized the location, he quickly got up and made his way there. 

"I was there with two other people and none of us got it, so it must have happened just like that," Fagin said.  

Although Fagin did not receive any money from his attempt at getting a cash drop, others have had better luck in being the first to snag the coveted money. 

Supply chain management sophomore Lizandro Muñoz spoke about his experience of finding a well-hidden cash drop. 

"I got really lucky, I got out of class early, which never happens, and I was just scrolling through Insta, and I didn’t even follow the account," Muñoz said. "I saw that two minutes ago it was posted, and then I googled the memorial, and it was like two feet away from me, so I just started running."

Muñoz was not the only person to notice the post and start sprinting towards the money, but he was the one who got there first. 

"I saw it was a $20, and right after, I went straight to Crumbl and I got some cookies, it was really nice," Muñoz said. “It made my day better for sure."

Muñoz included that when he told his friends about finding the money, it inspired them to keep an eye out for potential cash drops. 

"I told my roommate straight away and he’s keeping up with it, it’s like the more he posts, the more attention he’s gonna get," Muñoz said. "My friends are definitely on the lookout for it now."  

The MSU Cash Drops account did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. However, they did mention that there is more than one person behind the account, which helps to explain how the account can be so generous. 

Visual art education freshman Grace Zokoe was lucky enough to also grab a cash drop before everyone else. 

"I first heard about it from one of my friends, and then I started following them, and I made sure to turn on notifications so if they ever posted anything, I’d be right in the loop on it," Zokoe said.  

Zokoe lives in north neighborhood, and after seeing that the location was right around the corner, she hopped into action. 

"I got the notification, so I saw the video not even a minute after it was posted, and I realized it was (the Kresge Art Center) so it’s right outside of my dorm," Zokoe said. "I rushed out there to go get it."

By utilizing post notifications, Zokoe was able to know right away when and where the money was left, allowing her to claim her prize before anyone else. 

"I got $10 from that one, I haven’t spent it yet, but I think I’m saving it because I love going to Pinball Pete’s on Grand River, me and my friends go there so often."

Zokoe described the emotions she felt when walking up to the cash drop, but also the contrast of her fellow students who were not as lucky.  

"I was really excited when I saw it was still there because I was worried someone else got to it before me," Zokoe said. "There was a guy from Mason-Abbot running over to get it, and he saw that I already got it, so he was disappointed."

After her $10 win, Zokoe continued to watch out for new posts to see if she might luck out again. 

"If I see one posted, I’m checking to see where it is and how close I am in relation to it. Now I have a good gauge of how quickly people are getting there," Zokoe said. "If I’m kind of far away from it, I’m not even going to bother at this point."

Zokoe also spoke to the sense of community the MSU Cash Drops account has fostered among her friends. 

"I feel like it’s a good way to bond us all together and become a community. My friend alerted me about a lot of the other cash drops," Zokoe said. "I feel like it helps bring us together."

The people behind the MSU Cash Drops account remain a mystery, but many students are getting to know them through their generous handouts around campus.    

If you are interested in finding an MSU Cash Drop, check out their Instagram page; you never know if you’ll be in the right place at the right time.