The Coen Brothers' next movie

[ShoogarBear]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/21/new.zealand.millionaires/index.html

Global hunt for accidental millionaires

(CNN) -- An international manhunt was under way Thursday for a New Zealand couple who fled after a bank mistakenly paid them NZ$10 million (US$6 million) when they applied for a loan of just NZ$10,000.

New Zealand authorities said they had sought help from Interpol in locating the couple who disappeared May 7, two days after an employee error at Westpac bank paid them 1,000 times the amount they asked for.


The accidental millionaires, who have not been identified by authorities but are believed to come from the resort of Rotorua, were thought to have left the country, police said.


"At this time I am not prepared to disclose the amount of money involved, name the individuals or business involved, or discuss which country the individuals may be in right now," said Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey of the New Zealand police.


Local media identified the couple as Leo Gao and Australian girlfriend Cara Young, adding that they are now believed to be in China.


The bank, too, would only say it was "pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover a sum of money stolen."


However, local media and many Rotorua residents were abuzz about the amount.


TVNZ, a CNN television affiliate, said the couple applied for a NZ$ 10,000 (US$ 6,000) loan for a service station they owned.


On or about May 5, the bank erroneously put NZ$ 10 million (US$ 6 million) into their bank account.

The next day, the service station closed its doors. And the day after, the couple went missing, TVNZ said.


"Saturday, Sunday, we realized something else was up," Rotorua resident Tania Davies told the station. "They'd done a runner."


Another resident, Chevi Lambert, said a private investigator came by asking about the couple over the weekend.


"It's such a big world, he could just disappear," Lambert said.


Police said the bank had recovered part of the money, indicating the couple may not have been able to access the entire amount.

Westpac is one of the country's largest banks with more than one million customers.


Its motto? "Making the most of life." :lol

[Spurminator]

This is beyond awesome.

[DarkReign]

This is beyond awesome.

:tu

I'd do the saaaaame damn thing.

[BacktoBasics]

I really hope they don't catch them.

[Kori Ellis]

Wow, that's awesome. This should happen more often :lol

Two similar things happened in my lifetime but on a much much much smaller scale.

1. When I was in college, I took $20 out of an ATM machine and got $60. (Receipt reflected $20.)

2. About 10 years ago, I once sent in a $50 check to the phone company and they credited me for $500. I fought with them for a week trying to get them to understand that I didn't send $500. They were very rude to me and didn't believe it, refusing to take off the over-credit.

[BacktoBasics]

2. About 10 years ago, I once sent in a $50 check to the phone company and they credited me for $500. I fought with them for a week trying to get them to understand that I didn't send $500. They were very rude to me and didn't believe it, refusing to take off the over-credit.:bang

[SA210]

This is beyond awesome.

[Trainwreck2100]

Police said the bank had recovered part of the money, indicating the couple may not have been able to access the entire amount.

they must have cleared out a branch of all its bills then said branch just ran out of cash before they could get to the 6 million

[DPG21920]

I would give the money back. I would feel terrible if I stole anything, let alone millions. Cool to think about, but I could never do it.

[phyzik]

Stuff like this happens more often than most people think, although usually not that high of a dollar amount. When I worked for the branch support helpdesk (we answer questions that the bank tellers dont know the answers to) we used to get calls in where tellers would withdraw/transfer from a wrong account number, usually off by 1 digit, the person would keep the money or withdraw it from the account it was transfered into. When the person who the money rightfully belonged to comes in to complain the branch has to take the hit and credit the customer back if they cant contact the person who took the money. The most I saw that happened like this was 100,000.00 .

Needless to say the teller and that branch manager where both fired. I still dont know if Wamu ever recovered that money or not.

I took a sadistic glee when I had to tell them basically that they are fucked. I worked in that helpdesk for 2 years and in that time, I had at least 15 calls where this occured. And I was just one of about 100 employee's in the helpdesk so you can just imagine how often it happens.

It sucks for the teller because, at least at Washington Mutual, they are given hardly any training. I think its only like 1 or 2 weeks of training and thats not NEARLY enough to understand all of the banking regulations, nevermind learning the HOST system they have to use to process different transactions.

For comparison, in the helpdesk (we didnt talk to customers, just wamu tellers) when I started I was given 8 weeks worth of training and STILL felt in over my head once I got on the phones. Imagine just 1 or 2 weeks and being thrown to the customers like that. Its why there is such a high turnover rate for bank tellers.

[Avitus1]

That is cool as hell. I bet they are hiding out in Mexico like at the end of the Shawshank Redemption.

[MiamiHeat]

awesome.

I don't want them to be caught.

[timvp]

2. About 10 years ago, I once sent in a $50 check to the phone company and they credited me for $500. I fought with them for a week trying to get them to understand that I didn't send $500. They were very rude to me and didn't believe it, refusing to take off the over-credit.Let the record state that this was before she met me.

[baseline bum]

'Eh, it's just money and I'd hate to be looking over my shoulder every second of every day waiting to get caught. Anyone greedy enough to pull something like this is probably stupid enough to spend it all within a year anyways.

[EricB]

I hate a thief. So I could never do it.

[ShoogarBear]

'Eh, it's just money and I'd hate to be looking over my shoulder every second of every day waiting to get caught. Anyone greedy enough to pull something like this is probably stupid enough to spend it all within a year anyways.

Yeah . . . so, I'm picturing . . . Paul Giamatti?

[Spurminator]

Helen Hunter and Nicolas Cage in a reunion. Story rewritten to take place in Mobile in 1979.

[The Franchise]

I would give the money back. I would feel terrible if I stole anything, let alone millions. Cool to think about, but I could never do it.

They didn't steal the money, it was given to them. :lol

[eisfeld]

Wow, that's awesome. This should happen more often :lol

Two similar things happened in my lifetime but on a much much much smaller scale.

1. When I was in college, I took $20 out of an ATM machine and got $60. (Receipt reflected $20.)



Similar thing here... went to the ATM with my girlfriend, both nearly broke (sucks to be a student) - wanted to withdraw some money to buy us some fast food and suddenly the ATM made funny noises and spit out 120 Euros. I even asked the women who was at the ATM before me if she forgot her money - not her's - so candle light dinner it was :)

[caribbean_spur]

I wish I had the courage of doing this, but I know I would be too scared to do it. I would have nightmares about getting caught :lol

Props to them to actually do it! Hope they get away with it.

[ShoogarBear]

Helen Hunter

It's moments like this I wish I could photoshop.

[Spurminator]

:lol

Oops... Holly.

[Trainwreck2100]

screw that shit, whenever a customer screws up at a bank you never see the bank give them a do-over, turn about is fair play.