What was supposed to be a quick trip to withdraw cash from an ATM turned into a nightmare for one man — and now his story has sparked outrage across the internet.
According to reports, the man, whose identity has not been released publicly, went to a local ATM late one evening to withdraw a small amount of cash. But instead of dispensing the amount he requested, the machine began to malfunction, spitting out hundreds of banknotes uncontrollably.
“At first, I thought it was some kind of glitch,” he explained later. “Money just started flying out of the dispenser — way more than I had in my account.”
Startled and unsure what to do, the man gathered the money and immediately called the police to report what had happened. Surveillance footage shows him standing beside the ATM, visibly confused, and even trying to push the excess cash back into the machine.
But what happened next shocked everyone.
Instead of being thanked for his honesty, the man found himself sued by the bank, which accused him of “tampering with financial property” and “failing to follow proper reporting procedures.” In their lawsuit, the bank claimed that his actions during the malfunction “interfered with machine operations” and caused additional losses.
Legal experts and members of the public are calling the case unbelievable. “He did the right thing,” said one attorney familiar with the situation. “He called the police, didn’t run, and didn’t keep the money. Punishing him for honesty sends a terrible message.”
The incident quickly went viral online after footage from the ATM’s security camera was leaked, showing the man waving his hands in frustration as the machine continued to spit out cash. Many social media users have called him “the unluckiest honest man alive.”
“This world really punishes good people,” one commenter wrote. “He could’ve just walked away with the money, but he chose to do the right thing — and this is his reward?”
In his defense statement, the man’s lawyer argued that he had done everything by the book, reporting the situation immediately and never using a single dollar of the money that came out. Despite that, the bank insists that his handling of the cash was “improper” and that his contact with the ATM “violated maintenance protocols.”
The case has now drawn the attention of consumer rights groups, who are urging lawmakers to protect customers who act responsibly in situations like this. “Machines malfunction. It happens. But suing an innocent person who reported it? That’s just wrong,” said one activist.
As for the man himself, he says he’s learned a painful lesson: “Next time something like this happens, I’ll call the bank directly and record everything. I never thought being honest would cause this much trouble.”
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