A few days ago, I was discussing the following problem with a friend: Imagine you have just withdrawn some money from your bank account. You get your statement, and realise that somehow $5 million has been added to it. Do you: (a) keep it and hope that the bank doesn't notice; (b) tell the bank it's error and hope for some kind of reward; or (c) move to another country and live like a king? What would you do??? ------------------ Rodney Dangerfield "Business is so bad, hookers are selling toasters" Karma happens...and it tastes like chicken...
Put it in an interest-bearing account of some sort until they need it back. When/if they ask to get it back, give it to them; you at least obtained a little bit of free money. If they never do, enjoy your retirement! I've actually done this before with a company that kept paying me a salary despite the fact I had quit working for them. ------------------ NBA Draft Lottery is May 20th. Start praying now.
You have to let them know and give it back. They'll find out eventually and you can get in big trouble if you try to keep it. I remember reading about a case like this a year or so ago. ------------------ My dream job is to be a Houston Rockets towel boy.
Kindof like the <a href="http://www.dnai.com/~pcombs/$$tablecontents.html">$95,093.35 check</a>. Personally, I'd tell them, and whether I got a reward or not doesn't matter. Although I would love to have $5 million. ------------------ "Up and down, inside out, outside in, some you lose some you win" -- DMB -> "Sweet Up and Down"
Something similar happened in the movie Office Space. If you've ever worked in any type of corporate environment, watch this movie! It's pretty damn funny. Oh... and the money thing is funny too! rH ------------------ visit: The Psychedelic Groove House of Rockets Basketball Love!
I would immediately notify the bank. I would hope that everyone else would too. It is the right thing to do. I would assume that everyone would notify the bank immediately if the bank made an error AGAINST you. ------------------
Yeah, I'd give it back. ------------------ Ceo of the Walt Williams and Lisa Malosky fan club. atheistalliance.org
Something similar like this happened to me but it wasn't THAT much. About 5 years ago, I realized that there was an extra $324 and some change in my bank account. I was balancing my checkbook, ironically about to withdraw my money so my wife and I could open a joint account and there it was. I immediately called the bank and said that there was this extra amount there. They said, "Are you SURE you didn't make a deposit?" I told them I was. The woman transferred me to a supervisor and the supervisor said they had NO record of a deposit for that amount or a transfer into my account for that amount at ANY time in the past month. She said that, legally, it belonged to me. I told her I wanted the correct person to get his/her money and she said they probably did. She said that, after 30 days, deposits and charges to an account are binding. She said that if it was still there next month, there was nothing they could do about it and they couldn't take it back because they had no way of knowing who it belonged to. So, I withdrew everything EXCEPT the mis-applied amount and $12 for the service fee and left it there for one month. The month came and went and the money was still there. I called the bank again and spoke with another person in charge just to make sure and they concurred with the original supervisor. I withdrew the amount happily and never heard about it again. I honestly would've returned it if they had asked me, but they obviously wanted no part of it so I considered it a gift and moved on. On the original question, I would probably approach it the same way I did this one. ------------------ I don't get mad. I get stabby.