If you were to make a deposit in your bank account by mistake, you may wonder if you have the right to keep the money. And it is that, although it is very tempting to take the money and spend it, unfortunately, you must remember that the money is not yours unless you have made the deposit or if someone else made it in your name.
The only time you can keep the money that is deposited is when the deposit was intended to be made to your account. So if the deposit was a mistake, you can’t keep the money. It’s as simple as that.
Remember that there are many cases of people who received wrong deposits and then spent some or all of the money and faced criminal charges for this.
There were people who did all kinds of things with the money received, from spending it to other accounts to earn interest, including investing, buying cars, paying bills and donating to charity.
Criminal charges varied depending on the state where the incident occurred, but basically consisted of theft of lost property by mistake and receipt of stolen property, and this applied even in cases where the money was intended for worthy causes, such as donations.
In some cases charges were dropped when people returned the money and in others the courts were stricter, sentencing offenders to probation and/or prison time. But it all depended on the judge, the lawyers and the circumstances.
However, in any case, you should expect file criminal charges against you to obtain court orders to return the money and set an example to deter other people who find themselves in the same situation.
For all of the above, if you ever If you find yourself in a situation where you notice an unexpected deposit, it is best not to take it out or spend it and notify your bank as soon as possible.
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