Couple Vanishes After $6M Bank Deposit Error

By Mat Probasco, Newser Staff

Posted May 21, 2009 4:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Police are searching for a New Zealand couple who disappeared after withdrawing a fortune mistakenly credited by their bank to their account. Westpac Bank blamed the $6 million deposit blunder on "human error," and executives want the money back. Unlike the "Bank Error In Your Favor" Monopoly card, the couple will likely go directly to jail if caught.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

A New Zealand couple have fled with more than US$6 million after a bank deposited the money in their account by mistake. (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

“(We're) pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover the sum of money stolen."
- Westpac Bank spokesman

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Getty Images

White Grandfather Cuffed for Walking With Black Granddaughter (NewsOne)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Help! I'm Having an Incestuous Relationship With My Twin (Slate)

Proof that Twitter Users are Sexier Than Facebook Users? (GeekSugar)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 3 comments

LiberalJesus

May 22, 2009 12:45 PM CDT

I hope they get caught. What they did is a crime. How anyone can say " I hope they never get caught" is foolish on the surface and down right disgusting when you extrapolate it out to the point where you hope people get away with larceny, rapes, and even murder. They broke the law. Did you know banks hold all kinds of money from accounts that have been dormant or long forgotten and yet they must keep a record of those funds and they eventually end up in the state coffers, but they dont keep the money....because its against the law!

Newser001

May 22, 2009 3:30 AM CDT

Funny how it's OK for the banks and securities industries to rip us off, destroying the world's economies' and then bail them out... Ever been overcharged? Cheated? Lied to? Robbed? We all have. I feel no empathy for the bank nor the couple.

riffran

May 21, 2009 9:49 AM CDT

*singing*.."GO ON TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN....WOOO HOOO HOOO...GO ON TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN".....lol

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds Major Cash Inside

Study Finds Arsenic in Baby Formula, Cereal Bars

Telegraph (UK) (Source Grid »)

World

theft • New Zealand • Westpac Bank

More Newser Stories

'Accidental Millionaires' May Have Fled NZ for China

Had asked for $6K overdraft; got $6M instead

(NEWSER) - A New Zealand couple on the lam after they became accidental millionaires may be in China, and an investigator has been dispatched to look for the fugitives, the Rotorua Review reports. Interpol is also on the case. Of the $3.6 million originally transferred into a gas station's account because of a bank error, $2.4 million has been recovered, the Otago Daily Times adds. More»

Cops: Remote Shutdowns Would Curb Phone Thefts

They want FCC, carriers to put safeguard in place

(NEWSER) - With smartphone robberies soaring, frustrated police are calling for regulators and service providers to shut down stolen phones remotely to reduce their value, reports the Washington Post . About 40% of robberies in Washington in 2011 involved smartphones, iPods, or tablets, while in New York City the figure was nearly 50%. “This is a national issue,” says the DC police chief, noting that the thefts have "clobbered" her department. “We have done all we can at the local level.” More»

UK Fugitive Since 1993 Became Missouri Cable Guy

'Fast Eddie' Maher, alleged thief, caught after 19 years

(NEWSER) - Nearly two decades ago in England, one "Fast Eddie" Maher allegedly stole an armored car packed with $1.6 million in coins and bills. Now Edward John Maher has finally been caught—in a Missouri town, where he was working as a cable guy, the Kansas City Star reports. Maher worked at an armored-car company and stole the loot during a delivery, police say; he's become a legend of sorts in Britain, with one newspaper guessing last year that he'd never be found. More»

Church Bookkeeper Accused of Stealing More Than $1M

Anita Collins siphoned money from Archdiocese of New York: cops

(NEWSER) - New York police arrested a Bronx woman today for embezzling more than $1 million from the Archdiocese of New York, the New York Daily News reports. Prosecutors say the plain-looking Anita Collins, 67, spent lavishly at Bloomingdale's, Barney's, and Brooks Brothers during her nine-year stint at the archdiocese. She finally confessed when confronted at work last month about a missing $10,000. But she "continued to lie" about the other $1,063,000 she had taken, said Assistant DA Amy Justiniano. More»

14-Year-Old Youngest Ever Pro Golf Winner

Even crazier, Lydia Ko nearly won same tournament a year ago

(NEWSER) - Lydia Ko is just 14 years old, but that didn't stop her from becoming the youngest ever winner of a professional golf tournament earlier today, winning the New South Wales Open in New Zealand by four strokes, reports the AP . The previous record was held by Ryo Ishikawa, who won his first pro title at 15 years, eight months. The previous youngest woman was Amy Yang, who won at 16 years, seven months. It's pretty amazing,'' says the Korean-born Ko. "I don't really know what to say ... I'm really happy and to be part of history is like a miracle." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website