The Singapore Forum

I hope they enjoy it as long as they can and then declare bankruptcy

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... tion=world

New Zealand police are searching for a couple believed to have fled the country with millions of dollars they received in a banking error.

Police will not reveal who the accidental millionaires are, but it is believed they ran a service station in the North Island city of Rotorua.

The couple had applied for a $10,000 loan to stop their business going under, but Westpac mistakenly transferred $8 million ($NZ10 million) into their account.

Now these cunning Kiwis have done a runner, but police are in hot pursuit.

Westpac's slogan is "making the most of life", and that appears to be exactly what these two Kiwis are doing.

The bank is still trying to figure out if someone's finger slipped on the computer keyboard - transferring millions instead of thousands into the couple's bank account.

New Zealand police are not talking today - they are too busy searching for the pair who are believed to have fled the country.

They are looking into the possibility that there is a second bank involved who knows nothing about the mistake.

Interpol has been called in to help track down the couple.

Westpac released a statement saying it is pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover the money.

New Zealand lawyer Mike Colson has a lot of experience advising banks when things go wrong and they make accidental payments.

"Usually they look at freezing accounts, but generally it's not a criminal matter," he said.

"But Interpol are involved this time."

Except they're not Kiwis, both immigrants I believe. One Chinese and the other Australian. Not sure howl long they've been there though.

What would you do if someone dropped 10 mill in your bank account by mistake?

azzam wrote:What would you do if someone dropped 10 mill in your bank account by mistake?

I don't think I'd notice it.

azzam wrote:What would you do if someone dropped 10 mill in your bank account by mistake?

Do a quick check if it will last me for the rest of my life, write a small note to Diana and then take the next flight out

how does one withdraw 8 million from a bank and no one notices? seriously... Oh yes sir let me get that in cash for you without an alarm bell?.. wtf?

it won't work: in order for this to be untraceable you need to draw cash and disappear and you just can't draw cash in that amount. a banker's cheque won't work, and the only other solution is to make the money disappear via a number of transfers of varying amounts using off-shore accounts in different names and in jurisdictions with strict bank secrecy laws. that is something that takes time to set up.

Lichtgestalt wrote:

azzam wrote:What would you do if someone dropped 10 mill in your bank account by mistake?

write a small note to Diana

You are so sleeping on the couch.

What about this one?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090522/ap_ ... nd_big_toy

I reckon Mum did it and blamed it on the kid.

azzam wrote:

Lichtgestalt wrote: write a small note to Diana

You are so sleeping on the couch.

Not if the note says, "Darling, no time to explain. Meet me in Cayman Islands. I have a wonderful surprise for you."

Lili Von Shtupp wrote:

azzam wrote:
You are so sleeping on the couch.

Not if the note says, "Darling, no time to explain. Meet me in Cayman Islands. I have a wonderful surprise for you."

"If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain..."

Morrolan wrote:it won't work: in order for this to be untraceable you need to draw cash and disappear and you just can't draw cash in that amount. a banker's cheque won't work, and the only other solution is to make the money disappear via a number of transfers of varying amounts using off-shore accounts in different names and in jurisdictions with strict bank secrecy laws. that is something that takes time to set up.

Don't think it's worthwhile trying that. Take the money and run and never come back

Well I've got to confess that I once had GBP 300 plopped into my credit card account once in the UK. This was many years ago in the UK. I waited a couple of months, nothing happened, so I spent it I think if it was millions though.... well, it's a different matter. I wouldn't risk it. Mmm thousands maybe.

I used to work for a large American bank in London at one time and, believe me, the erroneous transfers that used to go on - pretty scarey, big 6 figure transfers. Always check your bank statements, folks.

Lichtgestalt wrote:

Morrolan wrote:it won't work: in order for this to be untraceable you need to draw cash and disappear and you just can't draw cash in that amount. a banker's cheque won't work, and the only other solution is to make the money disappear via a number of transfers of varying amounts using off-shore accounts in different names and in jurisdictions with strict bank secrecy laws. that is something that takes time to set up.

Don't think it's worthwhile trying that. Take the money and run and never come back

which is the problem: you can't get the money.