But when you open your banking app, you’re in for a shock – you’ve been paid an amount that’s way more than expected.
Actually, it’s around 330 times your regular paycheck. So, what would you do?
For me, honestly, I’d probably be too nervous about the repercussions to do anything but notify payroll and get it straightened out.
But let’s face it, not everyone would have the same reaction.
The employee, whose identity has not been revealed, worked at Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (Cial), a company in Chile that produces various cold-cut meats.
Normally, he received a monthly paycheck of 500,000 pesos (around $525).
However, on this particular payday, the company mistakenly transferred a massive 165,398,851 Chilean pesos (about $173,668.79) into his account instead.
He initially cooperated, agreeing to visit his bank the following day to ensure the money was returned, as reported by Dario Financiero.
But when the next day arrived, the employee was a no-show at work.
Despite numerous attempts by his employers to reach him through calls, texts, and even WhatsApp, there was no response.
It turns out he had cut off all contact with the company.
Although he didn’t show up in person, his lawyer did reach out to notify them of his formal resignation from his job.
But Cial wasn’t about to let the matter slide without a fight. They pursued legal action, hoping to recover the misplaced funds from their former employee.
“He was informed and clarified that this money did not correspond to the payment of any service,” Chilean legal documents stated, according to Diario Financiero.
However, by December 2022, six months after the accidental payment, news agency IOL reported that the police had been unable to locate the former worker.
With the equivalent of 330 paychecks in his bank account, he likely wouldn’t need to come out of hiding for quite some time.
Let’s just hope he made the most of that unexpected windfall.
