Courtesy 98.7 The Bull

An Oregon radio station is claiming credit for a "pay it forward" stunt that has left hundreds of listeners with hundred dollar bills in their grasp.

The mystery began Monday when news outlets in the Portland area began reporting that residents were finding $100 bills hidden in odd places, like boxes of cookies at local supermarkets.

Rumors circulated that perhaps it was a local lottery winner or another well-to-do citizen looking to give back. Yesterday, however, those rumors were put to rest when a country music radio station, 98.7 "The Bull," said it was behind the stunt.

"What we wanted to do is just pay it forward and encourage others to do it as well," B-Dub, the station's afternoon host, assistant program director and music director, told Goodmorningamerica.com today.

"There's two sides of it," he said of the stunt. "One is an on-air promotion we started last week of giving free money on the air and, coupled with that, we did hide hundred dollar bills in grocery stores and other retail outlets across the area."

B-Dub says the radio station plans to give out more than $20,000 over the next five to six weeks, and possibly more.

"It's a secret how much we're putting out each day and where but wanted to make it accessible to everyone and give everyone a chance to have just one more reason to smile," he said.

Radio station employees operated in "totally stealth" fashion to hide the hundred dollar bills beginning last week, according to B-Dub.

"Employees just went in and did it. Nobody knew it was coming," he said. "We took simple things like a jar of peanut butter and put the bill above the sealed lid. Obviously where the food is safe but there's an element of surprise when people open it and go, 'Wow, look at that.'"

As the station continues to spread the wealth to its listening community, which extends all the way to Vancouver, it's watching as the wealth multiplies on its own.

"We're not taking credit for every hundred dollar bill that was hidden because people have been paying it forward," B-Dub said. "We're doing this to pay it forward and do some good."