Lloyds TSB in Nacton Road where 'free' money was being given out in error

Ipswich: Crowds build up at ATM paying double money

by Lizzie Williams Thursday, July 26, 2012
12:00 PM

CROWDS gathered to withdraw money from an Ipswich bank – after the branch’s cash machine started dispensing ‘free money’.

The ATM at the Nacton Road Lloyds TSB issued twice the amount requested by members of the public, sparking a flurry of withdrawals by delighted customers.

However, police were called when arguments broke out among those trying to use the faulty machine.

A spokesman for Lloyds TSB said it would be difficult to trace the customers affected and said it was unlikely they would try to reclaim the money.

Up to 30 people flocked to the branch as word spread.

Police officers were called to the bank at 8.05pm on Tuesday night after a concerned member of the public reported arguments breaking out among the crowd.

A Suffolk police spokesman said: “The incorrect dispensing of cash is not a police issue, but we remained on scene until staff from the Lloyds bank arrived and turned off the cash machine.”

Ipswich resident Emma Hutchinson told The Star she received a phone call from an anonymous friend at around 7pm telling her the cash machine was dispensing “free money”.

“Word got around pretty quickly,” she said. “My friend asked for £40 and the machine gave out £80.”

Ms Hutchinson went to see if the rumour was true before uploading a picture of police on the scene at Nacton Road to The Star’s iWitness 24 website.

“I initially thought I would try my luck, then got paranoid the bank would be able to find out who took the money and ask for it back.

“Me and my partner were so gob-smacked, we’d never seen anything like it before.

“We had a long discussion in the car on whether I should get money out and then decided not to,” Ms Hutchinson said.

A spokesman for Lloyds TSB said: “For a very short period of time, the ATM at Nacton Road was mis- dispensing cash whilst the branch was closed.

“The machine was put out of service. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

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7 comments

1) If the bank find it difficult to trace who withdrew what then what kind of useless bank is this - they have the date, time, account numbers, pin numbers, card numbers. What more do you want - a taxi to their house?! 2) The police are just useless. They turn up and then rather than doing the right thing and telling everyone to go on their way, they stand there and supervise the systematic theft of money. As usual more concern over peoples "yuman rights" than basic common sense

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Sam

Sunday, July 29, 2012
What a bunch of feral rats these people are. Of course it's a crime & should be investigated. These people are knowingly & dishonestly taking the money which does not belong to them. I'm glad they strated to behave so badly thus giving their little game away. The bank should be able to know who was taking the money out at that time & pass that onto the Police for them to arrest these love lifes.

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Concerned of Suffolk

Friday, July 27, 2012
"A spokesman for Lloyds TSB said it would be difficult to trace the customers affected and said it was unlikely they would try to reclaim the money." This is at complete odds with other information on the net - that banks keep a record of all transactions and will always act to recover errors - quote: In English law (covering England and Wales), you are entitled to keep money paid to you in error "under mistake of fact", but only if you honestly believe that the money is yours. Without any proof of mens rea ('guilty mind'), mistake of fact can be used as a defence against civil and criminal liability, but only for unintentional mistakes.Thus, if you got £40 when you requested £20, then you have no reasonable argument to believe that the money was genuinely yours. Therefore, you should return the additional £20 to the bank, as you have no legal right to keep it.Thus, if you got £40 when you requested £20, then you have no reasonable argument to believe that the money was genuinely yours. Therefore, you should return the additional £20 to the bank, as you have no legal right to keep it. However, if you requested £20, got £40 and £40 was debited from your account, then the cash is yours to keep, as neither you nor the bank has suffered any loss.

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Sarky Sage

Friday, July 27, 2012
"“I initially thought I would try my luck...." Luck? Stealing money that does not belong to you is "luck"? No wonder the UK is in a mess.

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Johnthebap

Friday, July 27, 2012
No-one told me! Not of course that I would defraud a bank which needs all the money it can get to give it's top executives millions of pounds in bonuses

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JOHN BURLS

Thursday, July 26, 2012
Surely as bank machine technology records every transaction it should be easy to see who was withdrawing funds at what time and how much was dispensed?

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MZH

Thursday, July 26, 2012
Damn - too late (only joking)

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The original Victor Meldrew

Thursday, July 26, 2012

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Ipswich: Crowds build up at ATM paying double money

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