‘So many zeroes, I got scared’: Brazilian driver sees balance spike from $46 to $26.7 million -roughly $132 million in Brazilian reais – after bank error depositing money that was not in favor
- Antônio Pereira, of Palmas, Brazil, became an overnight millionaire by mistake
- The 58-year-old saw his account balance go from $46 to almost $132 million in Brazilian reais after the bank erroneously deposited the extra funds
- Pereira, a bus driver, visited a local branch of the bank he has been a customer of for 25 years, and returned the entire amount
Ever wonder what it would be like to wake up and be an instant millionaire?
A Brazilian bus driver got scared for a moment at the sight of six extra digits flashing across his mobile account before he noticed it was all a mistake and decided to return the money to his bank.
A father of four and grandfather of 14 grandchildren, Antônio Pereira figured the only way he could ever attain such fortune was if he played the lottery, which he does not.
Pereira, who works driving tourists around in the central Brazil city of Palmas, acknowledged he was initially scared when he saw his available balance increase from 227 reais ($46) to 131,870,227 reais ($26.7 million).
‘So many zeros appeared that I was scared … I’ve never seen money like that in my life,’ the 58-year-old told TV Anhanguera this week. ‘And I’ll never get it in my life, only if I win in the Mega Sena, and I don’t play.’
Antônio Pereira was a millionaire – for a few hours though – after his bank mistakenly deposited $26.7 million reais into his account. The Palmas, Brazil resident broke the news to his wife they they were ‘rich’ before she advised him to alert the bank and return the money
Antônio Pereira said he was scared when he noticed his bank account balance had increased overnight from 227 reais ($46) to 131,870,227 reais ($26.7 million). The 58-year-old, who has four children and 14 grandchildren, told TV Anhanguera: ‘I’ve never seen money like that in my life’
The unexpected financial windfall in his account was the result of an errant transfer that should have been deposited into the account of another bank.
Pereira never thought about withdrawing any of the cash because he considered himself someone who is trustworthy.
‘I went to my house and told my wife, ‘We got rich.’ But immediately my wife also said, ‘Let’s give it back,’ Pereira recalled.
He visited a neighborhood branch of the bank that he has been a customer of 25 years and had the money removed from his account.
Under law, Antônio Pereira (pictured) had to return the money that was erroneously deposited in his bank account
‘At nine o’clock at night, the money left my account for their account,’ he said.
Brazilian lawyer Paula Dângelo explained that under law, Pereira was required to return the entire amount even if it was a mistake by the bank.
‘So, although you are happy with the situation, with the surprise, a miracle happened, using that money is a crime,’ Dângelo said. He added that a person could face civil and criminal penalties if they used the money.
The rule in Brazil is similar to the U.S., where failing to report a bank error can result in someone being forced to repay the money or face criminal charges.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk