ATM Gives Out Too Much Money. What Would You Have Done?
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
United States
July 28, 2007 8:15pm CST
Here's a story that can test the morals of even the best of us. What would you have done?
An ATM at a northwest Louisiana truck stop gave out $20 bills instead of $5s, but authorities say they know who took the extra $7,000 the machine spit out and plan to track them down.
DeSoto Parish sheriff's Lt. Toni Morris said the automated teller machine has records showing 26 people who received the extra cash during five days in late June and early July.
Annette Parker, a supervisor at Eagle's Truck Stop, said she unplugged the machine after overhearing conversations about the excess payments.
"The next morning when we had come back in, someone had plugged it back up," she said.
Morris said someone who did not work at the truck stop may have rigged the machine, which keeps records of when the money was taken and by whom.
Morris said charges could be brought against the people who got more money than they were debited for.
If you were one of the people who received more money than you requested, what would you have done?
Would you have immediately reported it or just chalked it up as the cost of doing business for the big banks?
Afterall they sock it to us when they charge overdraft fees of up to $35.
To be honest, I would have just accepted the 20 dollar bill and moved on. However, I wouldn't have gone back and repeatedly taken out more money.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Hope you don't think I'm a crook for stating my honest opinion.
Lloyd
11 people like this
32 responses
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
29 Jul 07
I don't think any less of you, you sinner, thief, no just kidding. I am so sensitive to things out of the ordinary, so I probably would have started screaming and alerted everyone anyway. I panic all the time. Plus, I know that they have cameras and such to track those kind of things.
If it happen at a time when the bank was closed, I would put it in an envelop and take it to the police station. Or, if I had to take it home, I would write a note on the envelop that said, planning to return this money as soon as the bank opens.
When you have had as much trauma and drama as I have had in my life, the last thing you want to do is risk going to jail. That would be like putting sour icing on a stale cake.
5 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Ewwwwwwww. "sour icing on a stale cake". You now got me rethinking my position.
I don't know if I would have went out of my way as far as you to report it though.
I'd let the bank contact me, then repay them. Banks are not amonst the best customer service orientated businesses in America.
It's literally impossible to speak to a real person when calling my bank. And the local branch of Bank of America doesn't even have a phone number. You have to call the 800 nationwide toll-free number to contact someone.
Lloyd
2 people like this
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
29 Jul 07
Please believe me, as much as Bank Of America has put me through in the last few years, if it were not a sin and I thought I could get away with it, I would take the whole machine and not feel anything.
But I also believe that you reap what you sow. One of the ways that they can get out of this is if they thought that the money came from their own account accidentally and they just decided to keep it, since it was out already.
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
So far we are batting 100% when it comes to reporting it.
It seems as if the quilt behind keeping it would bother many of you.
Thanks for your honest opinion.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Jul 07
I have always considered my self to be a honest person, so I would like to think that I would return the money to it's rightful owner. Nevertheless, it is not something that has ever happened to me so I cannot say for certain that I would not give way to the temptation.
3 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Hello Asylum. Long time, no see. How have you been?
Thanks for being honest about the temptation to do something other than giving it back.
A lot of people are saying that they would return the extra 15 dollars, but I believe some would fall to temptation.
Just my opinion.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
29 Jul 07
I would definitely report it to the bank, if an ATM of theirs gave me extra moneyu. I would make sure they took the money back from me.
There is no weay I would get away with keeping the money.
Banks are very clever at tracing records.
Anyone who tries to keep money accidently or deliberately obtained is very foolish.
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Banks are very clever. Morris said charges could be brought against the people who got more money than they were debited for.
So a lot of people might be receiving a visit from the authorities soon.
Thanks.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@jeweledbluerose (3061)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I would have only kept the money long enough, until I could get in contact with the bank in charge of, or whoever is in charge of those ATM's than handed over the money to the appropriate people.
As tempting as it is, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself taking money that wasn't rightfully mine, even though I do think it ridiculous what the banks charge for taking out your own money.
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I understand the how it would affect your being able to live with yourself. You are a person of the highest moral character.
I agree that it's ridiculoust what the banks are charging to take your own money out.
Thanks for your reply.
Lloyd
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
29 Jul 07
The banks here charge ridicu;lous amounts too, for withdrawing money from an ATM. Especially if their ATM is not working & you have to use another one.
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
29 Jul 07
Well if they have records of the transactions, I would have to give the money back as much as I would hate to, but if there were no records, most definantly I would keep it, they those machines have shorted me a few times right when i really needed the money..
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I'm sure they have records of the transactions, but who is to say that you were one who received 20 dollars instead of 5 dollars.
I wonder how much effort the bank would put into retrieving 15 dollars from everyone who benefited from this mistake.
Lloyd
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I agree with you. I really don't think it's really worth it.
Lloyd
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I bet they thought it was their lucky day.. I know I would have. I would have done the same received my monry and moved on. I don't know who else wouldn't. I mean if a teller at the bank did it I would tell her and give the money back or a cashier but how are we supposed to have given a ATM money back. Those who received the cash will be regretting it though, Although it wasn't their fault that somebody rigged it to do it that way.
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Ouch! I am a bad bad person..lol. the devil is now as we speak sharpening his pitch fork. It wouldn't have been my fault if the ATM spewed out more money then I asked for, yeah I would pay it back when the ask me to. I rarely have more then $50.00 in my bank account. Actually if the ATM I was using was close to my bank I think I would stop in and tell them about the withdrawal problem but at a truck no I would just take my money and go as I said earlier.
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Maybe they thought they were at a slot machine. LOL.
You are the first one saying that you would have received the money and moved on.
I can't wait to see what really happens with this case.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@Stiletto (4579)
•
29 Jul 07
Well having read the other responses so far I'm impressed with how many scrupulously honest people there are on here but sadly I'm not one of them lol!! Darned right I would keep the money - I'm ripped off enough with bank charges etc so it would be payback time as far as I was concerned.
Actually a similar situation happened in the town where I live a couple of years ago when the ATM paid out in hundreds rather than tens - so for instance if someone asked to draw out £10 they got £100!! Apparently people were calling their friends and telling them to get down to the ATM quick lol! I don't know what the bank did about reclaiming the money or whether they could trace who had it because the best thing about it all was the printed receipts produced by the ATM showed the amount that had been requested - not the overpayment. I suspect the bank would probably have to write it off - they make big enough profits to withstand that. Sadly I wasn't one of the people who benefitted so my conscience is clear as far as that's concerned!
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I am also impressed with the honestly displayed in many of the responses.
Thanks for stating your true feelings regarding this topic.
The bank use every available tool to nickle and dime us, so it's nice to be able to reverse it once in a while.
I wouldn't have gone back and gotten more money though.
Lloyd
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I am also impressed with the honestly displayed in many of the responses.
Thanks for stating your true feelings regarding this topic.
The bank use every available tool to nickle and dime us, so it's nice to be able to reverse it once in a while.
I wouldn't have gone back and gotten more money though.
Lloyd
@disvachic (10117)
• United States
29 Jul 07
If it was me i think i would report it because those extra over draft fees are not joke.I would have to pay back the money they gave me plus the the overdraft fees.Then i might be in a bind from paying the money back.
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Those overdraft fees are terrible. And it's easy for them to spiral out of control.
I'm sure that reporting it would save you from any fees associated with receiving the extra money.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I would have tried to report it and to give it back. There is no way I would have wanted to have to pay back any supposedly free money. As for going back again...Nope...I wouldn't have done that either.
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
I thing those people who went back over and over again will be in trouble. That shows that they had a criminal intent.
Thanks for your reply.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
30 Jul 07
to be totally honest, i would have taken the money too. only if there was no record of me getting caught. and being that i know i would get caught i would not have done it. everything now days is stamped, so if you think you are getting away with something you are so very wrong
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
30 Jul 07
you are welcome. and sure why not just right it off. i mean unless you got them for thousands then give me a break
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
Thanks for you honest opinion. Why should we have to go out of our way to correct the bank's mistake.
Now if you went back and did it over and over again, that would be another story.
I wonder how much money they would spend to get 15 dollars back from everyone.
I think they would just write it off as a loss.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@tsgirl01 (900)
• United States
29 Jul 07
Hello lloydanthony111, how are you? I have to laugh at your honesty, thanks for being so honest. I too would have taken the money and gone on about my business. And I would not repeatedly take out more money. But, I worked for a few companies that put the money in ATM machines. The mistake happened in the office where the cannisters were loaded, most likely. Someone is is deep you know what for that mistake!
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
Hello. I've been doing good. I was just being honest about me feelings regarding this situation.
You are so right. Someone is in big troulbe for filling the cannisters with the wrong currency.
Lloyd
@PinayPrincess (554)
• Philippines
29 Jul 07
that already happened to my Mom... when I was a kid, we were going to the mall when we stopped by on an atm machine to withdraw some money..
My mom just requested for 1000 pesos but the machine gives out 20,000 pesos which is really a big money!!
and the weird thing is that the machine can only support up to 10,000 pesos but it gave out 20,000 pesos!
My didnt know what to do cause she knows that it wasnt her money.. sO instead of going to the mall we go straight to the bank and my mom complaint!
She said, I can take this all money because it was your fault of having a malfunctioning machine out there.. But Im here to tell you that I am not happy with what happened, you disturbed me and wasted my time because of this! so what now?
The bank gave the 10,000 pesos to my mom for returning the 20,000 pesos.. VEry nice right?
Heroine is my mom hehhe..
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
That is a great story. I'm glad the bank rewarded your mother for her honesty.
That was a great gesture on the bank's part.
Lloyd
@2wicelot (2945)
•
29 Jul 07
I think in my case I would have gone to the bank to give them there more money back. I did that once. The cashier lady paid me a little extra which I only noticed after leaving the bank. I went back to give it back but could not find her so I gave it to one of her colleagues. She looked a bit surprised but I didn't stay behind to to hear what she has to say about it and I just left the building.
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
29 Jul 07
That was a very good gesture on your part. I'm sure the cashier really appreciated it.
I'm sure she would have been disciplined if her drawer had come up short.
Lloyd
1 person likes this
@raphael_volts (1131)
• India
30 Jul 07
Hey there Lloyd, If I would have been in such a situation, I would have surely taken the $20 bills that came once and would have moved on, and like you surely won't have gone back for more. Thats what I think would be wise in any situation, as anything that you take out of an ATM is always traceable by the bank. I wouldn't make it seem like I was looting them.
Its real funny, as the banks themselves never think while charging so much transaction costs, but if something like this happens, they panic like they have been looted of all there money. After all what all happened wasn't the play of any outsider, but the mistake of the bank themselves, why to irritate the customer.
Any ways
Take Care
May GOD Bless YOU
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I agree with you. Going back and doing it over and over again would be similar to looting. And that is a crime.
I think the bank should just write it off as a loss and move on themselves.
Afterall, they don't have a problem looting our checking and savings accounts.
Lloyd
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I have been on the other side of this- I once went to the ATM at the bank – on a weekend when they were closed and withdrew money- Nothing came out- but I got a receipt showing that I got money out- I don’t think so- I was peed- I went home and called first thing Monday morning- they told me they already knew- and didn’t take the cash from my account- So I believe that the banks would know if you got extra also- I would take the money it gave me- If it was not my bank- I wouldn’t give it to the truck stop place- who is to say they are honest- that wouldn’t happen-
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
31 Jul 07
I wouldn't give it back to the people at a truck stop either.
I can't wait to see how this case ends. I don't think the people who got 20 dollars just one time will have much to worry about.
Lloyd
@dafnie (382)
• United States
29 Jul 07
yeah i'm only human i'd take it when it gave it to me. but i wouldn't go back for more... then i'd start feeling guilty. but really..... what can you do? give it back to the machine or something?! it would take a lot of energy to try to find someone in charge or a bank or something like that and give the money back, but knowing that i'd probably feel guilty taking the money, i would at least notify someone that the ATM is giving out too much money and that it needs to be fixed and i'd just hope and pray they let me keep the extra money for telling them. cuz when you think of it, the money is coming from someone somewhere..... so it's not really yours!
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I wouldn't go back for more either. That would cross the line.
The banks take everyopportunity to sock it to us, so it might not be that bad to get back at them for once.
Lloyd
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
31 Jul 07
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Lloyd
@wburns77 (4)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I have never heard of an ATM giving $5 bills to begin with, however, that could very well be. I think if the bank was not smart enough to fill the bill slots in the machine with the proper bills, tough luck. They should fire the bumbling idiot and move on. Besides, how many of you have been charged an overdraft fee because your bank wanted to count your debts before your deposits in the morning since it suited them to getting the overdraft fee? The tracking of the bills would be a little hard if the $20's were mixed in with the $5's. After all, if the machine thought it was giving out 5 dollar bills instead of 20's, the only way to track it would be if the camera was able to see the bills. If this was just a machanical or software issue that the bank benefited from, they would take your money and not care who it effected. As far as morrels go, do the banks use morrel judgement when they do business? OH YEAH, I would take the money!!!
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
I also have never heard of an ATM giving $5 bills. Can you imagine paying $2 to get $5?
I agree, they should find out what happened an move on.
Afterall, they get us for overdraft fees all the time. If you don't have the money in your account, you shouldn't be able to withdraw money.
But they let you do it, so they can charge overdraft fees of up to 35 dollars.
Lloyd
@littlemissh (235)
•
29 Jul 07
I would definately keep it it may not be honest or moral, but it's not as if i would be stealing from a person just a big corporation, who probably spend more 'doing lucnh' . I would propbably keep going back as well to get as much as i could, i know it greedy but at least i'm honest lol
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
30 Jul 07
Wow. You are the first person who said that they would keep going back to get as much as you could get.
That just might be pushing the issue a little to far. LOL.
Lloyd
