BrainPower
Senior Member
- May 19, 2009
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From Times Online
May 21, 2009
Bank blunder makes couple accidental millionnaires
Anne Barrowclough in Sydney
A New Zealand couple whose bank mistakenly paid $10 million (£3,880,000 ) into their account has taken the money and run, sparking an international police hunt.
The couple, who ran a service station in the North Island tourist city Rotorua, had applied to Westpac bank for a $10,000 overdraft.
A blunder by bank staff meant the pair - an Asian man known as 'Leo' and his NZ girlfriend - received 1000 times the amount they were expecting.
The accidental millionnaires withdrew at least some of the money and disappeared, according to Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey of Rotorua CIB.
Interpol have been alerted to help find the couple, he said, suggesting police fear they have fled abroad.
Local business people said the couple had disappeared overnight and a note was left on the doors of their station, BP Barnetts, saying it was in receivership.
Craig Dowling, Westpac media relations manager, said the bank was treating the case as a criminal matter but refused to discuss specifics.
"I can say that Westpac is pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover a sum of money stolen," he said.
Human error was responsible for the couple's substantial windfall, not a systems error, and that the bank was reviewing its procedures, he added.
BP Barnetts closed its doors earlier this month after its operator, Heights Service Limited, went into receivership.
Rotoruas The Daily Post newspaper reported that the company owed money to creditors.
Massey University banking lecturer Claire Matthews said it was doubtful the newly irch couple would enjoy their millions for long.
"They've taken funds that they're not entitled to, that are not theirs," she told Newstalk ZB.
"They've effectively, I guess, become thieves but it is only going to be a matter of time."
The business owners would be hard pressed to argue they honestly believed they were entitled to such a huge sum of money, she said.
Duu ! hii imenikumbusha ule msemo - lala maskini uamke tajiri.
Sasa ingekuwa wewe zali limekutokea kama hivi unge fanya nini. Nipe dili masela
May 21, 2009
Bank blunder makes couple accidental millionnaires
Anne Barrowclough in Sydney
A New Zealand couple whose bank mistakenly paid $10 million (£3,880,000 ) into their account has taken the money and run, sparking an international police hunt.
The couple, who ran a service station in the North Island tourist city Rotorua, had applied to Westpac bank for a $10,000 overdraft.
A blunder by bank staff meant the pair - an Asian man known as 'Leo' and his NZ girlfriend - received 1000 times the amount they were expecting.
The accidental millionnaires withdrew at least some of the money and disappeared, according to Detective Senior Sergeant David Harvey of Rotorua CIB.
Interpol have been alerted to help find the couple, he said, suggesting police fear they have fled abroad.
Local business people said the couple had disappeared overnight and a note was left on the doors of their station, BP Barnetts, saying it was in receivership.
Craig Dowling, Westpac media relations manager, said the bank was treating the case as a criminal matter but refused to discuss specifics.
"I can say that Westpac is pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover a sum of money stolen," he said.
Human error was responsible for the couple's substantial windfall, not a systems error, and that the bank was reviewing its procedures, he added.
BP Barnetts closed its doors earlier this month after its operator, Heights Service Limited, went into receivership.
Rotoruas The Daily Post newspaper reported that the company owed money to creditors.
Massey University banking lecturer Claire Matthews said it was doubtful the newly irch couple would enjoy their millions for long.
"They've taken funds that they're not entitled to, that are not theirs," she told Newstalk ZB.
"They've effectively, I guess, become thieves but it is only going to be a matter of time."
The business owners would be hard pressed to argue they honestly believed they were entitled to such a huge sum of money, she said.
Duu ! hii imenikumbusha ule msemo - lala maskini uamke tajiri.
Sasa ingekuwa wewe zali limekutokea kama hivi unge fanya nini. Nipe dili masela
