To think my friend shouldn't have taken this money?

I think it’s theft as it was money on the shop’s property. So it’s the same as if she found it on a shelf in the shop - you can’t take things from a shop.

However, if she’d have bought the book and found it at home it would be less clear cut. The book is hers now. And you know the money would not go back to the owner.

If she had any sense she would have seen the money and then left it where it is and bought the book. To take it out of the book is pure stealing.

Most people would have returned the money even if they’d bought the book though I’m sure.

If she had purchased the book technically its not theft, they should have been more careful.

But to take it out of the book is just the same as stealing the book, or anything else.

The honest person hold have handed it over when they saw it.

They wouldn't have been able to track down the person, the NT doesn't need the money and the person behind the till may have just kept it... Probably best your friend just keeps it as a really lucky find, given she lives paycheck to paycheck.

How do you know?

I’d buy the book but I’d keep the money tbh.

She should have handed it in. The fact she didn’t shows she has pretty low morals. I think by law she is actually obligated to hand it in so it would be stealing.

The point is the money doesn't belong to her. Theft - the dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention to permanently deprive.
All the elements are there.

Bad I know, but that’s what I thought

It's particularly shady that she didn't even buy the book! Says a lot about her moral character.

Maybe not, but this was a victimless crime IMO. I don't think that you can extrapolate from her taking this money that she would steal from the OP, as some PP have suggested.

You can call what you like, but it still wasn't hers to take.

Do you think they sit and watch the footage every night just in case someone has found/stolen some money in a book that day? 😏

I hope she at least stumped up for an Americano and a Danish whirl in the coffee shop afterwards!

Take it back where? She found it in the shop

And it's pay cheque, pay cheque (cancel the cheque), no NT shops in America

Gotta admit I hate those stupid social experiment type things.

Things like… “Would you give a small child your coat if you saw them on their own shivering in the rain at the bus stop?” Yes and I would also call the police because a child has been neglected/is lost 🤷🏼‍♀️. That would be an interesting video for social media.

Whose was it? There is no way it could get back to the original owner. I call finder's keepers on this one.

See what you did there.....and I agree

It's theft. That money wasn't hers but she took it anyway.

I would lose respect for her personally.

Maybe karma will get her. There is a trend at the moment of placing money in a public place and filming to see what the finder does. If they hand it in they are given it for being honest if not they are basically shown in the act on social media. I don’t think it is this but if it is she may be a social media star soon

If I needed it I might have kept it. But I probably would hand it n

So would I.

Everyone giving these examples, this isn't really the same at all, finding a wallet/purse/handbag etc is something that is obviously lost (not discarded) and the person would be traceable and would be missing it and be really inconvenienced by not having it.

The person that donated the books obviously had no idea there was money stashed in there, and with no way to trace the owner, it's just a lucky accident for someone to find it.

I accidentally dropped £60 a couple of years ago, I retraced all my steps but couldn't find it, my takeaway from it was that while I was really annoyed with myself, I was glad it would make someone's day to find £60, and the universe decided they obviously needed it more than I did! I don't argue with fate.

She should have bought the book though, tight cow.

maybe they've just found a note in their deceased loved one's personal paperwork saying "I've hidden some money that I saved up for the grandchildren in the pages of my copy of Great Expectations"

Fucking hell this site slays me

I'm puzzled.

£165 would be a sizeable lump. Even if the notes were individually inserted between the pages, the book would be distorted.
Just can't see how it was missed.

Yes, that's a very good point.

If somebody has just realised - maybe they've just found a note in their deceased loved one's personal paperwork saying "I've hidden some money that I saved up for the grandchildren in the pages of my copy of Great Expectations", having already been getting on with clearing out their house - then of course they would get in touch with the NT property.

Relief on finding that her old copy of Great Expectations, with her name written in it, was still unsold and there on the shelf would quickly evaporate upon realising that somebody had found it and taken the money, without even bothering to buy the book.

They may well not have CCTV in the second-hand bookshop room, but I doubt they'd take very kindly to somebody just helping themselves. Any staff member/volunteer with a particularly good memory might remember her spending time in the shop, especially if it had been recently donated at a less busy time, and recognise her if she goes in again.

Regardless of the moral perspectives on this, she would have covered herself so very much better if she'd just paid a quid or two to actually buy the book - and then go through it for the money at home.