There are many items you are not allowed to bring on airplanes. This includes obvious things, such as weapons of any type. It also includes less obvious items we’re all used to being prohibited, even when it doesn’t really make a lot of sense (think liquids and larger tubes of toothpaste).
For most people, though, cash would not be on the list of things that could give you problems at airport security. Surprisingly, though, money may actually be something you should leave at home when you head out on your next vacation.
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Here’s why bringing cash through TSA could be a huge problem
A recent CBS News story offers a clear and serious sign of a big problem with security at airports in the United States.
It comes in the form of a class action lawsuit that includes plaintiffs such as Rebecca Brown, a woman who was traveling through Pittsburgh International Airport when the Transportation Security Administration determined that the money she was carrying represented proceeds from a crime.
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Because the Feds thought the money had been obtained illegally, the cash was seized.
Brown and several other people who experienced similar issues are currently suing the government, arguing that their constitutional rights were violated. The lawsuit claims the TSA mistakenly confiscated funds it thought had been obtained illegally.
Brown lost thousands due to the TSA’s seizure of funds
As part of the class action lawsuit, it was revealed that Brown had brought her father’s life savings to the airport after he asked her to bring the money to Boston to open a savings account.
The total was about $82,000, and it took Brown approximately a year and a half to get the funds returned after it was determined the money was clean.
“I do think that this was unconstitutional, what the TSA did to me,” Brown said.
The risk of cash seizures isn’t limited to large sums
While you may assume you’re safe if you aren’t carrying such a large amount of money, that’s not necessarily the case.
“In some of the TSA depositions, they said as little as $100 in 100 one-dollar bills would still count as a large amount of currency,” Dan Alban, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice representing the plaintiffs, told CBS News.
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While the government claims it was acting within its guidelines and requested that the case be dismissed, the plaintiffs’ attorneys dispute the claim that TSA officials acted properly.
“We think there is no dispute of material facts that the TSA unlawfully and unconstitutionally stops and seizes travelers with cash at the airport, even though it admits it poses no threat to transportation security,” said Alban.
What should you do when traveling with cash?
It remains to be seen how the class action plays out as it moves through the court, or whether the TSA will be found to have violated the rules.
For flyers who want to avoid problems, the best course of action would be to limit the amount of cash they carry when traveling. Of course, that’s inconvenient, especially if you don’t like to rely on credit cards or are traveling somewhere where you’ll need to make purchases in cash.
If you are traveling with a large amount of money, aim to have at least some documentation showing where the money came from so you can be prepared to answer questions from the TSA, however inappropriate you think those questions may be.
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