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Topic: Moral Dilemma. ATM machine gave me $600 instead of $500. Should I call bank? (Read 12449 times)

b!z
legendary
Activity: 1582
Merit: 1010
Inform the bank, maybe they will give you a bonus for being honest Cheesy
full member
Activity: 213
Merit: 100
You can never run away from the person in the mirror.

Guard, with extreme vigilance, your character and integrity.

It sounds like you did the right thing by calling the bank!

Congratulations!

newbie
Activity: 24
Merit: 0
Well you could call the bank, and give the money back.

Which would open up a case to have the machine checked and then would most likely point to the last tech who worked with the machine. That may get the person fired or get a slap on the wrist, you need to consider this. Were you the only person the machine did this for? Or was it malfunctioning like that the entire day.

I know this is your life and someone made a mistake which caused the machine to give you extra money or possible the bills were so new that they got stuck together.

Seriously, just keep the money dude.

Or give it to people who are less fortunate than yourself, someone homeless would need that 20 dollars or something. You could do many things really, its up to you. Only you know what you need to do, no of us really have the final say so.
sr. member
Activity: 266
Merit: 250
Usually a repeating overpay of this sort is caused because notes have been placed into the wrong feeder - so that where there should be 10's the person refilling the machine mistakenly puts 20's.

As well as the valid CU argument bear in mind someone could loose their job over this but that may be less likely if most of the money is returned.
This could only happen with US Dollar notes because all are the same size. Anywhere else in the world this is physical impossible as feeders are adjusted to the size of the notes.   


If you want to withdraw 500&, recepit(500$) and the account was decreased with 500. The ATM gives you 100$ free, then enjoy your free money. We shouldn't have mercy for banks!

Stealing from a thief still makes you a thief. Any way you look at it it's not your money, you don't have the right to steal.
Nothing has been stolen, OP has called the bank to find out if they mistakenly gave her more money as they should have.
I would say OP mind is already on holiday.

If it would have happened to me i would not have know as i just put it straight in the wallet and that's it. Equally if they short charge me i would not know.

It has happened in the UK several times so the hoppers won't be as tight a fit so as to prevent wrong stacking. In these three cases the customers were told they could keep  he money! No legal basis to enforce repayment? Would be took much bad PR? Too much trouble/non-compliance asking other banks for interbank customer details?

 http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/cash-machine-pays-out-double-964836
legendary
Activity: 938
Merit: 1000
If you want to withdraw 500&, recepit(500$) and the account was decreased with 500. The ATM gives you 100$ free, then enjoy your free money. We shouldn't have mercy for banks!

Stealing from a thief still makes you a thief. Any way you look at it it's not your money, you don't have the right to steal.

wheres the part of him stealing anything come from? lol
legendary
Activity: 966
Merit: 1001
Energy is Wealth
Usually a repeating overpay of this sort is caused because notes have been placed into the wrong feeder - so that where there should be 10's the person refilling the machine mistakenly puts 20's.

As well as the valid CU argument bear in mind someone could loose their job over this but that may be less likely if most of the money is returned.
This could only happen with US Dollar notes because all are the same size. Anywhere else in the world this is physical impossible as feeders are adjusted to the size of the notes.   


If you want to withdraw 500&, recepit(500$) and the account was decreased with 500. The ATM gives you 100$ free, then enjoy your free money. We shouldn't have mercy for banks!

Stealing from a thief still makes you a thief. Any way you look at it it's not your money, you don't have the right to steal.
Nothing has been stolen, OP has called the bank to find out if they mistakenly gave her more money as they should have.
I would say OP mind is already on holiday.

If it would have happened to me i would not have know as i just put it straight in the wallet and that's it. Equally if they short charge me i would not know.
newbie
Activity: 23
Merit: 0
If you want to withdraw 500&, recepit(500$) and the account was decreased with 500. The ATM gives you 100$ free, then enjoy your free money. We shouldn't have mercy for banks!

Stealing from a thief still makes you a thief. Any way you look at it it's not your money, you don't have the right to steal.
newbie
Activity: 42
Merit: 0
If you want to withdraw 500&, recepit(500$) and the account was decreased with 500. The ATM gives you 100$ free, then enjoy your free money. We shouldn't have mercy for banks!
sr. member
Activity: 266
Merit: 250
Usually a repeating overpay of this sort is caused because notes have been placed into the wrong feeder - so that where there should be 10's the person refilling the machine mistakenly puts 20's.

As well as the valid CU argument bear in mind someone could loose their job over this but that may be less likely if most of the money is returned.
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1001
How sure are you that you actually received an extra 100$? Are you absolutely sure that you did not have that 100$ to begin with? I just mean that it is much more probable that you made a mistake rather than the atm.

Since you already called the bank, keep the 100 for right now and wait a month. If you are contacted by your bank about the missing 100 (and if it they did give you extra money, like the others have said, they have so much paperwork and accounting backups, that they WILL notice the missing money) just let them know that you did call back for proof of goodwill, and then do whatever seems appropriate.

I counted twice but I already thought about that.  With everything going on planning for our vacation I could have just mistakenly thought I had less in my wallet. But I called then and they were going to check the machine and see if it was working correctly or not. 
member
Activity: 91
Merit: 10
How sure are you that you actually received an extra 100$? Are you absolutely sure that you did not have that 100$ to begin with? I just mean that it is much more probable that you made a mistake rather than the atm.

Since you already called the bank, keep the 100 for right now and wait a month. If you are contacted by your bank about the missing 100 (and if it they did give you extra money, like the others have said, they have so much paperwork and accounting backups, that they WILL notice the missing money) just let them know that you did call back for proof of goodwill, and then do whatever seems appropriate.
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1001
Go to the bank tomorrow and return the money. The error may never get caught but it's the right thing to do. This is why I've lost faith in humanity. You KNOW what the right thing to do is yet you come to an online forum to ask what to do? You are just looking to justify keeping the money sounds like.

Nothing personal. It just needs to be said. People need to better themselves or this earth will always be a shit hole.

I already called the bank.
newbie
Activity: 23
Merit: 0
Go to the bank tomorrow and return the money. The error may never get caught but it's the right thing to do. This is why I've lost faith in humanity. You KNOW what the right thing to do is yet you come to an online forum to ask what to do? You are just looking to justify keeping the money sounds like.

Nothing personal. It just needs to be said. People need to better themselves or this earth will always be a shit hole.
full member
Activity: 196
Merit: 100
Do the christian thing.  Keep it and pray to your god for forgiveness.  You have $100 extra and a clear conscious!  Smiley

Quote from: cryptasm
If it was a high-street bank I would say keep withdrawing as much as you can. Been as it's a credit union, in the end you will probably be taking someone's savings so probably best to report it and give the money bank.

Quote from: foxpup
Either way, if you haven't reported the error, you can expect your accounts to be frozen and possibly be arrested for fraud. Given that the bank would have to be grossly incompetent for you to not get caught, it's not worth it.

Quote from: WEB Slicer
i would keep it.

I think the thread's resolved guys. OP already said that she called the bank.

Quote from: Bitchick
I called the credit union.  The woman on the phone said she had never had anyone call to say that they had gotten too much cash.   They did not say if I could keep the extra cash or not.  The lady was not sure what to tell me.  Oh well.  Either way my conscious is clear.

If it was Citi Bank I would not have been so nice though.
legendary
Activity: 997
Merit: 1002
Gamdom.com
If it was a high-street bank I would say keep withdrawing as much as you can. Been as it's a credit union, in the end you will probably be taking someone's savings so probably best to report it and give the money bank.
legendary
Activity: 1918
Merit: 1570
Bitcoin: An Idea Worth Spending
Maybe the ATM programmer is beta testing to dole out $500 worth of buying power next month. Come September, it may take $600 to buy what $500 buys today.
legendary
Activity: 4326
Merit: 3041
Vile Vixen and Miss Bitcointalk 2021-2023
All ATMs internally keep track of how much cash is loaded and how much cash is dispensed, the people refilling the ATMs also record how much cash goes in and out, and the bank records how much they're paying to fill the machines and the total amount withdrawn. If an ATM is dispensing more cash than it's actually deducting from customer's accounts, these records won't match up, and the bank will find out about it sooner rather than later. At that point, it's not hard for the bank to check if anyone's been making more withdrawals than usual from that particular ATM and begin fraud investigations. Depending on which records are still accurate, they may even know exactly who's been receiving too much money and how much, without having to resort to such guesswork. Either way, if you haven't reported the error, you can expect your accounts to be frozen and possibly be arrested for fraud. Given that the bank would have to be grossly incompetent for you to not get caught, it's not worth it.
legendary
Activity: 1120
Merit: 1001
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Vod
legendary
Activity: 3668
Merit: 3010
Licking my boob since 1970
OK, This is not related to Bitcoin but I was getting some cash out for a vacation.  Yesterday I withdrew the largest amount I could per day, $500.  The wad the machine gave me seemed a little thick.  I did not count it until I got home and the bank (Credit Union in this case) gave me $600.  My receipt says $500 and when I check my account online it says only $500 has been taken from my account.  I went back again today because I thought perhaps I was losing my mind and I actually had more cash in my wallet then I thought and wanted to make sure that it really happened.  It happened again!

So what do I do?  Do I keep going everyday and make an easy $100?  Do I call the credit union?  Are they legally allowed to withdraw the extra money from my account?  Will it show up somehow that they gave me $600 instead of $500 even though my receipt says $500?

Seriously,  I might feel a little guilty but part of me is happy to get some free cash.  Sad but true. Wink  It might be a great way to buy more Bitcoin anyways.  Or should I take the higher moral road and call the bank?  I am erring on the side of withdrawing more.

Do the christian thing.  Keep it and pray to your god for forgiveness.  You have $100 extra and a clear conscious!  Smiley
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1001
I called the credit union.  The woman on the phone said she had never had anyone call to say that they had gotten too much cash.   They did not say if I could keep the extra cash or not.  The lady was not sure what to tell me.  Oh well.  Either way my conscious is clear.

If it was Citi Bank I would not have been so nice though. Wink
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