Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
A British Worker Got A Shock When Checking His Bank Account And Finding Unexpected Deposits That Added Up To A Fortune. Initially, The Bank Claimed That The Money Could Be Kept, Generating Relief And Excitement. However, The Story Took Another Turn When The Institution Reviewed Its Position And Demanded Full Repayment Of The Amounts Transferred By Error.
According To Yahoo News, A General Services Assistant, The Famous Handyman, Claims To Have Lost A Small Fortune After A Bank Error Changed His Life Plans.
The Case, Which Involved An Incorrect Transfer Of £ 110,000, About R$ 840 Thousand, To His Account, Ended With The Forced Return Of The Amount And Even More Losses.
Mysterious Bank Deposits
Russell Alexander, A Resident Of Sutton, Norfolk, Started Noticing Large Sums Being Deposited Into His Bank Account At The End Of 2020.
-
While disasters leave families homeless and tarpaulin tents become the standard solution, a Japanese architect transforms cardboard tubes and beer crates filled with sand into emergency housing.
-
Miami built a $300 million tower using 4,800 concrete panels molded in Dubai, 277 piles drilled to 54 meters, and 7,600 m³ of concrete poured over 24 hours to create the skyscraper that survived a hurricane.
-
Route 66 was born when traveling by car was almost a dangerous adventure, became a symbol of American freedom, and still attracts tourists with its cafes, deserts, and hidden stories.
-
While ordinary mansions use concrete and tile, an architect buys parts of a scrapped Boeing 747 for $35,000, transports airplane wings with helicopters, and transforms aviation scrap into a luxury roof in California.
Among The Amounts Received Were Deposits Of £ 30,000, Another £ 30,000, A Payment Of £ 777, And Subsequently, An Additional £ 50,000. Surprised By The Amounts, Alexander Contacted His Bank, Barclays, Seeking Clarifications.
Without Immediate Feedback, The General Services Assistant Was Eventually Informed By An Employee Of The Institution That The Deposits Seemed To Be From An Inheritance.
The Bank Allegedly Said That He Could Keep The Money.
Property Purchase And Frustrated Plans Due To The Bank
At The Time, Alexander Had Recently Separated And Was Using What Was Left To Start A New Phase In Life.
With The Money He Received And The Information That He Could Use It, He Bought A New House Worth £ 237,500.
The Plan Was To Renovate The Property And Rent It Out Through Airbnb, Ensuring A New Source Of Income.
“I Would Never Have Bought It If I Hadn’t Had That Extra Money</strong,” He Stated. “I Planned To Renovate The House To Rent Rooms, But Now I Have To Work And It Will Take Years To Finish.”
According To Him, The Property Is In Poor Condition, Without Heating And In Urgent Need Of Repairs.
Alexander Directly Blames The Bank, Saying He Was Induced To Error.
Confession And Reversal
Everything Changed About Nine Months After The Deposits Started.
An Ex-Client Of Alexander Contacted Him And Confessed To Having Sent The Money To The Wrong Account.
Barclays Was Called Again And, After Reviewing The Case, Confirmed The Error And Withdrawn The Funds From The General Services Assistant’s Account.
However, It Didn’t Stop There. The Bank Also Withdrew An Additional £ 6,000 That Belonged To Alexander, An Amount That The Institution Claimed Was Withdrawn By Mistake.
Barclays Promised To Refund This Amount With The Corresponding Interest.
In Response, The Bank Stated That The Sender Had Selected The Wrong Recipient When Making The Online Payment.
The Institution Acknowledged That Alexander Had Been Incorrectly Informed That The Funds Were His And Offered £ 500 In Compensation For The Inconvenience.
Indignation And Frustration
Alexander Says He Is Indignant With The Way The Case Was Handled. “I’ve Been A Customer For 40 Years. They Told Me The Money Was Mine To Spend. Barclays Stole My Plans For The Future And Left Me Living Like A Fugitive.”
He Also Claims That He Would Never Have Bought The House If He Knew The Money Was Not Really His.
Now, Without Resources, He Will Need To Work For A Long Time To Be Able To Complete The Renovation Of The Property.
What The Law Says
Although It Seems Like An Unexpected Windfall, Receiving Money By Mistake Does Not Entitle The Recipient To Use It. Under The United Kingdom Theft Act Of 1968, Those Who Retain Funds Received By Mistake May Be Charged With “Retention Of Undue Credit.”
Even If The Amount Has Already Been Spent, The Obligation Of Repayment Remains. This Also Applies To Incorrect Payments Made By Employers.
Upon Receiving Unexpected Funds, Customers Should Immediately Contact The Bank.
It Is Also Recommended To Regularly Delete Unique Beneficiaries From Banking Apps To Avoid Future Mistakes.
How To Act In Such Cases
In Brazil, The Process For Recovering Amounts Sent By Mistake To Another Bank Account Also Involves Administrative Steps, But There Is No Single And Standardized Deadline Like In The United Kingdom. Below, I Explain How It Works:
Immediate Notification To The Bank: As Soon As A Person Realizes That They Transferred Money By Mistake, They Should Notify The Bank Immediately, Preferably In Writing (App, Email, Or In Person). This Formalizes The Error And Initiates The Recovery Process.
Friendly Return Attempt: The Bank Attempts To Contact The Holder Of The Account That Received The Amount, Requesting The Return. This Refund Can Only Occur With The Consent Of The Person Who Received It — The Bank Cannot Automatically Reverse The Transaction Without Authorization, As The Money Has Already Been Credited To Another Holder.
If There Is No Return
If The Person Who Received It Refuses To Return Or Does Not Respond, The Sender May:
- Contact The Bank’s Ombudsman (Response Time: Up To 10 Business Days);
- File A Complaint With The Central Bank Or With Procon;
- As A Last Resort, File A Lawsuit For The Return Of Unduly Paid Amounts (Based On Article 876 Of The Civil Code).
Consequences For The Recipient: If It Is Proven That The Person Enriched In Bad Faith (Knew That The Amount Was Not Theirs And Used It Anyway), They May Be Liable For Unjust Enrichment Or Even Theft (Article 168 Of The Penal Code).
Be the first to react!