Bank Deposits $8 Million By Mistake. Recipient Fled!

[Livinginexile]

"New Zealand police are hunting a couple thought to have fled the country with millions of dollars, after a banking error.

The couple are understood to have applied to Westpac Bank for a eight thousand dollar overdraft and mistakenly had eight million dollars paid into their account.

The couple ran a Rotorua service station, which has since closed and gone into receivership.

New Zealand Police have asked Interpol to help find the couple".

8 million!!!

I tell you, you wouldn't see me for dust and they would never find me too

North Thailand is were I would head (after shaking Interpol off my tail) and live happily ever after.

What would you do?

[G54]

Same same. Take it and run.

Get some plastic surgery and make myself more hansum. Live here with a mafia passport and visa document.

[Crossy]

How did they flee with 8 million? It's not exactly the sort of amount you pull from the bank in cash without arousing suspicion and any other financial instrument could be cancelled.

And yes, I'd take it and run too.

[bravingbangkok]

Take it and run ! fuc_k the banks.

Although I know of a similar case, although it might be a Kentucky fried mouse story, that the recipient was allowed to keep the money.

[MJP]

Gone in sixty seconds.

The chances of them finding me here are minuscule.

[rgs2001uk]

I would be enjoying sundowners on Lord Lucans estate as we engaged Mr Bin Laden in debate.

[timinchina]

How did they flee with 8 million? It's not exactly the sort of amount you pull from the bank in cash without arousing suspicion and any other financial instrument could be cancelled.

And yes, I'd take it and run too.

Very simple,wire it out of bank to an offshore company with nominee directors and shareholders in another jurisdiction,once the money's hit it's gone!

(How would you cancel a bank wire once it's hit the beneficiary's account,can't be done!)

[Devil]

Wow... is this for real?

Anyway it would be very very tempting

[Thaddeus]

You would not be able to follow the Thaddeus shaped blur.

[noahvail]

Wow... is this for real?

Anyway it would be very very tempting

Yep. You can find it on www.nzcity.com which is a reputable source. They've been reporting it all week.

[noahvail]

I would be enjoying sundowners on Lord Lucans estate as we engaged Mr Bin Laden in debate.

[Norrad]

I would have pulled a Houdini on the bank. On a related note, someone put 200K into my Kasikorn account the other day. I was tempted to cash it, but then I thought 200K baht is not worth looking over my shoulder for. The bank corrected their mistake a few hours later.

[stiggy]

quality comment above..........

[ozzydom]

The NZ couple had applied and been granted a $10,000 loan to prop up their ailing business , but it seems that some twit at the bank added three more zero,s to the deposit .

Police are checking on whether it was an insider job.

[phaethon]

BBC World News has just announced that the sum involved was "Ten million New Zealand Dollars, that's about Six American Dollars."

Now, I know the NZ$ hasn't been doing too well recently, but really..?!

[BigSnake]

Give it Back, it was an honest mistake by an overwork bank staff, no need to compound the problem, beside $8 million would be pretty easy to trace, even if you went to the bank a made a cash withdrawal don't you think the bank would catch the error at that point. you up until the cops arrive.

[Livinginexile]

Give it Back, it was an honest mistake by an overwork bank staff, no need to compound the problem, beside $8 million would be pretty easy to trace, even if you went to the bank a made a cash withdrawal don't you think the bank would catch the error at that point. you up until the cops arrive.

But that's the whole point!

They did withdraw all the cash and got away too.

[Livinginexile]

BBC World News has just announced that the sum involved was "Ten million New Zealand Dollars, that's about Six American Dollars."

Now, I know the NZ$ hasn't been doing too well recently, but really..?! :D

US$6 million?

That'll do.

[Heng]

I'd notify my bank immediately. Odd that a modern bank wouldn't catch the error in a daily audit.

They probably smurfed it out in small amounts.

The news say they're Asian, anyone know from what country?

[Ulysses G.]

I would have fled too, even though I know better.

[JohnGotti]

fwiw, the odds are overwhelming against you getting away with it.

"The service station, at the intersection of Otonga, Old Taupo and Devon roads, was owned by Huan Di Zhang and Hui Gao. The pair was listed at a West Harbour, Auckland address."

The article gives very few details. If they try to "go home", the odds of them ending up face down in the Chinese equivalent of a Klong seems likely.

[TAWP]

They probably smurfed it out in small amounts.

I once smurfed a smurfette but she became very smurf and I had to go to court to face charges of smurfing. Now I am a registered smurf-offender.

[Texpat]

I'd give it back.

Just because someone parks their Benz in front of your house don't mean its yours.

Funny that the gasbags who wheeze on day and night about Thais, have the same serious lack of integrity themselves.

[Ulysses G.]

I'd give it back.

That's a good one!

Edited May 21, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[mahtin]

I'd give it back.

Just because someone parks their Benz in front of your house don't mean its yours.

Funny that the gasbags who wheeze on day and night about Thais, have the same serious lack of integrity themselves.

Sexpats with moral standards?

Oh, you're rich.

[Livinginexile]

I'd give it back.

Just because someone parks their Benz in front of your house don't mean its yours.

Funny that the gasbags who wheeze on day and night about Thais, have the same serious lack of integrity themselves.

Sexpats with moral standards?

Oh, you're rich.

lolololol

[Ulysses G.]

Just because someone parks their Benz in front of your house don't mean its yours.

How about if they park it IN your house?

[JohnGotti]

its a question of risk vs reward.

[thaicbr]

207,806,686baht and you would give it back. pull the other one its got bells on.

And if they are Chinese nationals THEN LOTS OF PLACES TO HIDE.

[Datsun240Z]

Imagine that if you are a pro hacker, you can transfer milions, or bilions to your offshore bankaccount. The money is all digital!!.