Schoolboy goes on spending spree after bank blunder leaves him with £2 MILLION in his account
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 9:38 AM on 02nd July 2008
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Schoolboy William Bowen did not even check his bank balance when he nipped to the cashpoint to withdraw some cash.
It showed he was in credit, so he took out £300 - the maximum he could - and headed to the shops to splash out on an iPod, clothes and some trainers.
He had, after all, been expecting an overdue payment to go through so knew he had some cash to play with.
It was only when he went back to the cashpoint to check his balance later that he realised quite how much money he had to hand - a whopping £2million.
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 9:38 AM on 02nd July 2008
Comments (19)
Add to My Stories
Schoolboy William Bowen did not even check his bank balance when he nipped to the cashpoint to withdraw some cash.
It showed he was in credit, so he took out £300 - the maximum he could - and headed to the shops to splash out on an iPod, clothes and some trainers.
He had, after all, been expecting an overdue payment to go through so knew he had some cash to play with.
It was only when he went back to the cashpoint to check his balance later that he realised quite how much money he had to hand - a whopping £2million.
Short-lived millionaire: William Bowen with his new iPod and clothes that he bought after discovering £2million in his bank account.
A banking error either on his new Visa Electron card or a fault with the cash machine meant his account displayed the seven-digit figure.
William, 16, was so excited that when he got on the bus and rang his mother to tell her the news.
Only then did the penny drop that the money was not his - and he was now £300 in the red after splashing part of it on a few luxuries for himself.
The teenager had been expecting money owed to him under the Government's Education Maintenance Allowance scheme, which encourages children to stay in school.
The overdue payment and a 'bonus' from the scheme were to be paid into his account, so when he saw he could take out £300, he did so 'believing the money was his', according to his mother.
When he went back to the cashpoint with his friends later on, the full balance suddenly came up on the screen.
His mother Joanne, 35, said: 'He was jumping up and down and telling everyone when he saw the balance.
'A couple of women asked what all the fuss was about and he told them to "come and have a look".'
Mrs Bowen said: 'One of them must have gone inside and reported it.
'William got the bus to school and was obviously telling everyone about it. When he rang me I just thought he was joking at first.
'I then rang a friend to ask what I should do and realised I had better go and speak to the bank manager right away.'
She took him to the local Lloyds TSB branch in Telford, Shropshire, to explain to staff what had happened.
'The bank said he should have known better.'
Mrs Bowen, a full-time mother of six, added: 'I'm powerless to do anything, but will make sure he pays the money back through his EMA bonus.
'The bank still can't explain it. They've taken back his original card and sent him a new one.'
Lloyds TSB spokesman Sara Evans said: 'We have passed the details to our customer care team who will investigate thoroughly to find out what happened.
Admittedly, when I first got this email, i thought it was a joke. But no. This is so mint :D
Not only do i know the girl who ruffled David Tennant's hair on national TV, I also know the mini millionaire.
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