A thief stole his wallet—but the broke musician left them disappointed

A Houston musician turned a frustrating car break-in into an unexpectedly hilarious moment—one that millions of people online found just as funny. When Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits on TikTok) discovered someone had smashed his car window and stolen his wallet, he didn’t panic. He laughed. Why? Because the thief couldn’t get a single transaction approved.

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Rowlands had been inside his gym for a workout when the theft occurred. He came out to find his car window shattered and his wallet missing. As he waited for Houston police to arrive, notifications from his bank began lighting up his phone: someone was trying—and failing—to use his credit cards.

Rowlands shared his reaction to the situation in the video:

"How does it feel to know that you broke into the car of someone who is more broke than you?"

— Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits)

According to Newsweek, the thief made several failed attempts at a local gas station before presumably giving up. Rowlands, meanwhile, leaned into the humor. "I started laughing because I could see he was probably getting more frustrated than I was," he told viewers.

The video has now surpassed 35 million views, with TikTok users jumping into the comments to share their own stories—or just their admiration for Rowlands’ attitude.

"I started laughing because I could see he was probably getting more frustrated than I was."

— Michael Rowlands Jr. (@dressy.fits)

His funny approach to the situation resonated with thousands of TikTok users, who flooded the comments section with jokes and tales of their own experiences and jokes.

User @hanabanana wrote, "I respect how you can still make people laugh." Another, @britneykeismommy, chimed in with: "Happened to me. They went to the gas station first and it declined for $1.50. I died laughing like buddy all my accounts are negative."

Tiffanyann summed it up best:

"At this point, they should just give it back and give you $20."

— @tiffanyann

In a follow-up video, Rowlands shared security footage of the suspect driving a silver Jeep. He described seeing the man’s long black curls and facial hair, and encouraged viewers to help identify him.

"I know he has long, black curls because I saw the shape of the curls whenever he darted his head over," Rowlands said.

Though the situation was frustrating, Rowlands’ sense of humor—and the viral response—helped turn it into a moment of connection.

Sometimes, being broke has unexpected perks. Just ask the guy whose credit cards were too empty to steal from.