My bank closed my account and sent me check for $100k after error at ATM – I was scared to keep it but now money is mine
A CUSTOMER has claimed that their bank sent them a check for $100,000 after an error with an ATM transaction, and they were later told to keep it all.
The account holder took to social media to anonymously explain the situation after going through a lengthy process to solve what was seemingly a simple typing error.
"So I made a mistake entering a money order at the atm," they explained in a thread on Reddit.
"A money order for 1,000 usd was deposited but entered as 100,000 usd on my error."
They continued to argue that the screen on the ATM was difficult to make out at the time, and made an honest mistake, immediately contacting their financial institution afterward to resolve the problem.
"Called the bank immediately and they said that it would correct within couple days," the customer noted.
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Although they continued that days later, nothing had been fixed.
The bank supposedly held only $1,000 of the incorrect $100,000 deposit, leaving $99,000 left over for processing.
They stressed that the transaction still "didn't make sense."
"So we tried calling again and again," the customer claimed.
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"What do you know? Bank credits our account 99,000 usd."
The customer contacted the bank a subsequent number of times, to which they said staff responded that they closed and locked their account to get everything situated.
While it would seem that the issue would get resolved after an account closure, the customer said things only got more interesting from there.
A few days later, the bank allegedly sent the customer a cashier's check in the mail for $99,000.
"Now our account is closed and we received a cashiers check in the mail for our remaining balance along with the banks error of 99,000 usd," they explained to other Redditors.
"What to make of this situation?"
In a later update after some feedback and suggestions from those on the forum, it appeared that the error was still unresolved and the money remained in the customer's possession.
"I went to the local branch today and spoke with the branch manager. I told him the ordeal I have been going through and stated that I simply want the correct amount owed to me," they wrote.
"He explained that the account was closed because the bank was not able to verify the initial deposit amount input into the atm within 10 days."
The customer added that the branch manager was also confused by the complicated scenario, and called another employee over the phone to resolve what had happened.
According to them, the branch manager replied that the check was "nonnegotiable," and now belongs to the customer even though it was incorrect from the beginning.
"He also stated that I have done my due diligence in attempting to return the funds and 'what more can you do?'" the customer claimed.
"He ran the check number an confirmed that the check is legitimate and that it’s 'my money.'"
LAWYER'S CONSENSUS
Even with the confirmation from the branch manager, the customer still didn't feel comfortable keeping the money and contacted a lawyer to explain the situation from the beginning.
They claimed their lawyer told them that given the bank's response and the customer's "due diligence" to return the cash, they should deposit the cashier's check into a separate account.
"So, I’ve deposited the check. I will be holding the funds that do not belong to me in a separate account," they said.
It would seem that a simple error resulted in the customer accidentally getting a free $99,000, but according to them, it's still far too good to be true, and they're nervous that law enforcement could still become involved even with their extensive efforts to correct the error.
"Whether or not I face any criminal or civil charges are yet to be known," they explained to Redditors.
"I certainly hope that neither of which occurs as I am more than willing to part with the 99,000 of the banks money that I have attempted to return on multiple occasions."
"I am not rich nor poor. I am thankful for what I have and I’ve worked an honest job for every penny. I’m still baffled by the situation and does not seem real to me," they added.
"What happens next is anyone’s guess."
It's unclear if the customer has spent any of the cash they were allegedly told to keep, but based on their position in correcting the error, it's unlikely.
The specific financial institution supposedly involved in the transaction error was also not identified.
Several people responded and stressed that even though everything points to the cash now being legitimately the customer's they still shouldn't spend it considering the possible repercussions.
"What ever you do..don't try to cash it..then it's fraud on your part. reconnect with the bank and make someone understand the error," someone advised.
"Lol in all seriousness, don’t cash or spend it. Take it back to the bank and explain how they severely f**ked up again," another echoed.
"They will come after you eventually when they audit and it’ll be felony fraud."
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The original post from the customer was listed three months prior, and there haven't been any updates since.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the Redditor for more information on the $100,000 ATM error.