Police in Maine are investigating after a malfunctioning ATM at a bank spit out $37,000 in cash to man who requested $140.
South Portland police tell WGME-TV that they responded to the TD Bank branch at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday after getting a call from a woman who said a man was spending an unusual amount of time at the ATM she was waiting to use.
Responding officers found the man stuffing cash into a shopping bag.
The money was returned to the bank, and bank officials said they don’t want to press charges. But police continue to investigate. The identity of the man wasn’t released because he hasn’t been charged.
A bank official described the problem as a “code error” and said no customer accounts were affected.
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
11 Responses
He did the right thing. He couldn’t just leave the money loose in the ATM for anyone else to come by and help themselves to. He took it and returned it.
He “hasn’t been charged” because in american law there’s no such law as השבת אבידה…
Therefor, when you find an אבידה of a goy you have no moral obligation to return it other then for Kiddush Hashem. In other words, the money is rightfully yours, except you may spend it on a very worthwhile Kiddush Hashem.
MDshweks says:
April 4, 2014 at 11:08 am
good to know I hope goyim read this and if this or such a thing happens and and the goy knows the money is from a Jew they will keep it. I am sure you will not have a problem with that and why should you since you claim a jew does not have to give it to goy.
No. 2: What’s the lowest amount the finder in this article could donate to a yeshiva, of of the $37,000 the machine erroneously spit out, and keep the balance, and still get credit for a kiddush Hashem?
realize that there is record of who used the atm and therefore the bank can figure out where the money went, besides for the security cameras that record the activity. There is some kind of law about turning in found property to the PD and if not claimed within a period of time the finder can than claim it.
#1,
Hmmm… Interesting, It’s still under investigation, but you already know what he wanted to do with the money. And u even labeling him as a righteous man. You either didn’t read the news and rushed to comment, or you are a real Tzadik.
Reply to No. 2
Why does it seem erev Shabbos brings out all the talmedei chachamim to post such pears of wisdom. No where in chazal do we bring down the inyan of not returning property obviously lost by a goy when we know the owner and can readily return it. Your comment, whether made seriously or in jest, is nonetheless a sad commentary on the state of affairs. Remember when the chabad shaliach somewhere in New England found thousands of dollars in a used desk he purchase and returned it. That was a true Kiddush hashem.
#4, why would anyone want to donate stolen money to a yeshiva?
2, there are lost and found laws in the US. Not only that, it might actually be stricter than HA halachos, if you fail to report a found object you can be found guilty of a crime. You must report it to the police and turn it in, and only receive the object if after a certain period nobody claims it.
How do you know if he had any intentions of returning the money? The only reason he gave it over was because the reporting officials caught him stuffing it into a bag.
Where exactly should he stuff it? In his pockets? Just leave it loose and free on the side of the ATM machine?