A couple from New Zealand are being hunted down by Interpol after a banking error saw their account mistakenly credited with NZ$10million (£3.8m/$6m). However, instead of notifying the bank of their new found wealth, they simply took the money and ran.
Until recently, the couple - believed to be Leo Garo and Cara Young - had been managing a BP service station in Rotorua, a city on New Zealand's northern island approximately 150 miles south of Auckland.
According to reports, they had applied for a NZ$10,000 loan with Westpac Bank in an attempt to keep their struggling business afloat, only to discover that their account had been accidentally credited with a thousand times this amount instead – something which the bank have put down to human error.
Failing to notify the authorities about this sizable blunder, the couple withdrew a large percentage of the cash and fled the city on 8th May. They are believed to have left a note on their petrol station informing customers that the business had gone into receivership and simply told friends that they had decided to take a sudden holiday.
While their exact whereabouts are unknown – hence Interpol’s involvement – some reports have suggested that the couple may be in Korea or China.
Moreover, while Westpac Bank have declined to publish the exact amount the couple successfully made off with, simply stating that they are “pursuing vigorous criminal and civil action to recover the sum of money stolen", the mere fact that local authorities have enlisted Interpol’s help suggests that it was a sizable sum - with unconfirmed reports suggesting they somehow made off with NZ$6million.
