What started as an ordinary trip to the ATM has turned into a legal nightmare for one man after a bizarre technical glitch caused the machine to spit out far more cash than he requested — and now the bank is accusing him of stealing a quarter of a million dollars.
According to reports, the man, whose name has not been publicly released, went to withdraw a small amount of cash late one evening. Security footage shows him standing at the ATM, tapping on the screen like any other customer. But then, something strange happened — the machine began rapidly dispensing money, far beyond what he had requested.
At first, he thought it was some sort of temporary malfunction. But when the bills kept pouring out, he grabbed what he could and walked away, unsure of what to do. “He was confused — it all happened so fast,” said one of his friends in an interview. “He didn’t even realize how much money came out until later.”
Within hours, the bank detected the error and launched an investigation. By morning, the man’s account had been flagged, and police were contacted. The total amount missing? $250,000.
The man insists he didn’t intend to commit any crime. “It wasn’t like he hacked the ATM or forced it,” a relative explained. “It literally just started spitting out money. Most people wouldn’t even believe that could happen.” But the bank’s legal team sees it differently — they’re treating the situation as unauthorized withdrawal and theft.
The viral story has triggered a massive online debate. Some say the man should return every dollar immediately, while others argue that the fault lies entirely with the bank’s system. “If a self-checkout machine gives you extra change, is that theft or a company error?” one commenter asked. “This is the same idea, just on a massive scale.”
Experts in financial law have stepped in to clarify the situation. “Even if the machine malfunctions, keeping the extra money can still be classified as theft,” said attorney Rachel Lin. “Banks record every transaction. Once they reconcile the accounts, they can prove where the error occurred and who benefited.”
The man has reportedly offered to cooperate, but things have become complicated. The bank claims most of the cash has already been spent or untraceable, while his defense team says the bank’s system crash caused inaccurate records. “He didn’t steal anything — he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” his lawyer said.
Meanwhile, social media users have turned the case into a viral spectacle. Hashtags like #ATMCashStorm and #BankErrorCase have racked up millions of views, with people sharing jokes, opinions, and even memes about what they would have done.
Despite the internet frenzy, the man now faces serious legal consequences if found guilty. He could face years in prison — all because of a malfunctioning ATM.
As one viewer put it best:
“It’s everyone’s dream until it happens to you. Then it becomes your worst nightmare.”
The case is ongoing, but one thing is certain — this “lucky glitch” may go down as one of the most expensive mistakes in ATM history.
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