Adding Idiot to Injury

You suddenly find that there’s more money in your bank account than there should be. What do you do?

What if it’s an extra $5 million? Dollars, not pennies (though I’d certainly be happy with 5 million pennies, too!).

You’re a basically moral person. You call the bank and tell them about the error. They tell you there is no error; the money is yours.

Do you say, “Okay!” and hang up as quickly as possible? Decide you’ve done your moral duty and reported it? Realize that the bank must be right, it is yours by golly!? Do you go spend the windfall?

Of course not. You’re not an idiot. You realize that the only idiot in this scenario is the one you’ve been talking to at the bank who thinks you would forget that you’ve got $5 million coming to you.

You would go down to the bank and talk to as many people as possible until you find one who is not an idiot and can get it straightened out. You might even ask to keep the interest (about $400 a day at 3%), or at least score a toaster. Can’t hurt to ask, right?

You would not, under any circumstances, withdraw $2 million. You would not spend it on gifts and bad investments.

That’s good. Because then you would not get arrested and charged with grand larceny, like this idiot.

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