Not only would I call the bank immediately, I'd be tempted to call the FBI, MI-6, CIA, etc to report it. I would have thought that rather than a bank error it was some sort of money-laundering plot. (I obviously watch way too many mysteries, etc.)

Seriously, it's disheartening that there are so many ways that people try to be dishonest! I'm sure they will rue the day that they did this.

A year ago I opened up my online brokerage account (a daily ritual) and found to my astonishment that I had $31,000,000 in my account. Since this was approx 30 million more than I had in my account the day before, I knew there was an error. Instead of quickly withdrawing it or transferring it to my bank account in another country, I emailed my broker. He was casual about it: "It was a computer glitch". The money stayed in my account for a few days. It gave me pause. Imagine how easy it must be to steal money electronically if someone just taps a few numbers or figures wrongly - and no one owns up.

Cash out, then disappear...

-sa

so hard to disappear these days, don't ya think??

I would make a large withdraw leaving only a few hundred. After all of the interest I have paid over the years to greedy banks it would feel great to give them a taste of their own medicine. They rob us every day.

I read a number of years ago about a homeless man who found $30K in a brown paper bag and turned it in to the local police. It was later claimed by the rightful owners. It was reported to the media that he found but turned in the cash and the man had his 15 minutes of fame. When asked, "Why'd you do it seeing as you could use the money?" His reply was, "It wasn't mine! What else was I supposed to do?!" After the story came out he got a flood of job offers - for being a man of integrity, principle and values. What I got from the story was that he was already a rich man (although not in $) and he knew it and wouldn't sell it for anything! I never met the man but still (obviously) admire him and wish him well! Peace to you all!
http://www.stfrancisspeaks.blogspot.com

I would give it back if in the first place I make such a mistake. Clearly here, there was no mistake, they knew what they were doing.

I would notify the bank as soon as I saw the mistake. I work for a bank. And I know that eventually the bank would find the error and deduct it from your account anyway. The terms and agreement of your account for most banks actually have a clause to protect the bank in these kinds of errors. Besides it would be completely unethical to keep what wasn't yours.

I would leave it there, keep an eye on it using ATM enquiries and the power of the Internet, and wait for the bank to remove it when they realise their error. On the other hand ...

I would notify the bank, give the money back, but request that they allow me to keep the interest generated while it was in my account.

I wonder if they would agree to that...specially, since the $$$ was never yours to begin with?

It actually happened to me with Bank of America about 4 years ago when they accidentally deposited $2.7M in my account. I called and was told it was an accounting error and the money was immediately taken out. If it were to happen today, I probably would call it in again, but temptations to take it and run would have been much greater than 4 years ago. I am a single mom with a high mortgage facing foreclosure and unable to refinance. Yes, I would say the temtation would definitely be there.

i would give it back.it was not my money in the first place..

It would be, oh so tempting, to see myself as an instant millionaire, but the sad truth is that I would return it. I wonder if that makes me a sucker...or dumb...but I would return it. Not my money...so there...

I would consider it an act of God and draw out as much cash as I could. Every Sunday I would say a prayer for bankers everywhere and serve in a soup kitchen once a month whilst designing and waiting for delivery of the yacht on which I would sail away....I will need crew so stay tuned..

Obviously I wouldn't try to keep it. I'd go up to the bank immediately, ask for the manager, and tell them about the money appearing in my account.

I think only a person who has NO ONE in this world would be able to run - You'd have to disappear forever from life as you knew it.

Now ask me if I won the lottery, what would I do with the money!

Can I drive the boat?

I have to admit, out here in the Northwestern US, there are plenty of places to disappear to (Canada anyone??). Every instinct would tell me to take it and vanish, use only cash for the rest of my life and get cozy in a log cabin in the forest. However, no matter how careful I may be, odds are, they'll find me eventually. I wish I could say that I would return it to the bank ASAP out of the kindness of my heart...but to hell with them (B of A)! They seem to have no reservations about gambling huge sums of other peoples' money and then demanding a rescue and then telling the goverment to get out of their business...a little taste of their own medicine sounds refreshing, especially when it comes from one of the millions of consumers they routinely screw over. Call it a consumer-levied transaction fee, or late fee, or processing fee, or transfer fee, etc. Long arm of the law or not, I'd keep it out of spite I as a consumer have for these institutions, even if it meant that someday I'd get caught( I'd disappear for long enough to enjoy it though!)