'Free' money forces Australian bank to close ATMs

An Australian bank has been forced to shut down its entire network of cash machines after a technical glitch meant they started issuing "free" money. Long queues began to form at machines as word spread that unrestricted withdrawals could be made, with reports of people walking away with hundreds of dollars. The police had to step in to warn people they could face fraud charges for taking the money.



The problem affected around 40 ATMs belonging to the Commonwealth Bank in Sydney. A bank spokesman said the ATMs "have been operating in standby mode. That means the ATM can't identify the customers' account balance. Some have deliberately withdrawn more money than is in their account... and we will be recouping those funds'', the spokesman said.

The bank said the problem arose following overnight maintenance on the system. A caller to a Sydney radio station said: "I was just at a shopping centre and there was a line of 20 or more people. At least one of them took out AU$2,500 (£1,565) another one took out AU$1,000 (£626)."


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New South Wales Police warned customers who failed to return the money they could face criminal charges. "People should realise that, even though an ATM has dispensed cash, they are not entitled to that money and are committing a criminal offence if they keep it," said Detective Superintendent Col Dyson. "They should also realise that ATM locations are covered extensively by surveillance".