Moral Dilemma (Hypothetical)

flanker6

As part of our PSE day in school, teachers were tasked to survey classes on moral questions.
One question that was posed to a Year 10 class was as follows:-
"If you found money, no one else knew that you found, what would you do with the money? Return it or keep it?
If you knew the person that had lost the money, would it make a difference to your previous answer?"
This question met with some surprising answers . . . e.g First answer, "I would return it." Second answer "If I knew it came from a local thief/drug dealer, I would keep it."
So, casting this out, would anyone else change their original answer if they knew who had lost the money?

And would the amount of money have any bearing on your answers?

pickledonionspaceraider

I would change my answer as it becomes less of a 'victim less' crime.
Obviously there would be a victim, but without knowing who they are, it is not personal...and completely impossible to return , say £50 you find in the street, to its owner

That is why, yes I would keep it, and yes I would change my mind potentially - when the owner was revealed

Fireflyaway

That's interesting! I'm of the mindset that I'd always return / hand in lost money. I once found £5 n the floor. Didn't think the police would be interested so I put it in a charity box. However if I knew it was from a drug dealer a pimp or my brother in law id keep it! Ha ha! 

TBagpuss

If I knew who lost it I would return it. It isn't mine. (If I was 100% sure it belonged to a local drug dealer I would probably hand it in to the police and tell them who I thought it belonged to, and why)
If I didn't know who lost it then it is impossible to return it, so it becomes question of "Do I hand it in?"  I probably wouldn't if it was a small amount - £5 or £10. More than that I would let the police know I had found it - although according to my local police force's website, they wouldn't accept it unless I believed that it was the proceeds of crime or related to drug dealing...!

onwards&upwards

pickledonionspaceraider said:

I would change my answer as it becomes less of a 'victim less' crime.
Obviously there would be a victim, but without knowing who they are, it is not personal...and completely impossible to return , say £50 you find in the street, to its owner

That is why, yes I would keep it, and yes I would change my mind potentially - when the owner was revealed

You would be breaking the law and could end up with a criminal record.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-39129975
If you hand found money into the police, if it doesn’t get claimed you can get it back and it becomes legally yours. 

HRH_MUngo

When my son was 17, he found £40 in an envelope at a bus stop.  He'd just left school, it was a lot of money for him.
He took it to the police.  After six weeks they said he could keep it.  I think at that point if he'd have found it belonged to a drug dealer,he'd have given it to charity, despite it being a lot of money. 

maisie_cat

I found a £20 outside our local Sainsburys & handed it in to staff, found out a few months later that staff keep handed in money if it's not claimed. If I'd known I would have taken to the police station, but I would never have kept it. Even if it belongs to a criminal the chances are that they wouldn't go into the police station and claim it so the finder would get it anyway legitimately.

74jax

I'd just keep the money.... 🤐🙈

the_tired_one

I found a wallet outside, in the dark/rain. Picked it up- took it home and continued with my journey.  Got home later and when I opened it there was £240 cash, 1 bank card and a phone number.
I dialled the number but it was a constant dead line.  I took it to the local police station the following morning, and the 2 duty policewomen just looked at me and laughed!  And carried on laughing (presumably at me) until they booked it in.
That aside, my take is it is not my money so not mine to keep

Silvertabby

maisie_cat said:

I found a £20 outside our local Sainsburys & handed it in to staff, found out a few months later that staff keep handed in money if it's not claimed. If I'd known I would have taken to the police station, but I would never have kept it. Even if it belongs to a criminal the chances are that they wouldn't go into the police station and claim it so the finder would get it anyway legitimately.

I found £10 outside our Sainsburys and handed it in to customer services.  I was told that I could have it if it wasn't claimed - or they would put it in the Help the Heroes charity box.  I opted for the latter.

sheramber

 the offence is stealing by finding