By registering with our site you will have full instant access to:
268,000 posts on every subject imaginable contributed by 1000's of members worldwide.
25000 photos and videos mainly relating to the British Merchant Navy.
Members experienced in research to help you find out about friends and relatives who served.
The camaraderie of 1000's of ex Merchant Seamen who use the site for recreation & nostalgia.
Here we are all equal whether ex Deck Boy or Commodore of the Fleet.
A wealth of experience and expertise from all departments spanning 70+ years.
It is simple to register and membership is absolutely free.
N.B. If you are going to be requesting help from one of the forums with finding historical details of a relative
please include as much information as possible to help members assist you. We certainly need full names,
date and place of birth / death where possible plus any other details you have such as discharge book numbers etc.
Please post all questions onto the appropriate forum

-
2nd July 2021, 03:59 PM
#1
Early Computer Theft
Remember this from the seventies, all of the activities shown to place in the USA
A computer programmer in a Bank somewhere in the USA, thought that most people checked their bank statement to the nearest Dollar. He wrote a program which would cream off the odd few cents from the accounts and deposit the money in his account, believing that no one would check their statements down to the last detail, how wrong he was. One disgruntled customer noted that his statement was a few cents short each month.
Over a period of time he built up a case showing that he was systematically robbed.
Initially the Bank was sceptical, but on investigation it discovered all its account holders were being robbed. The few cents mounted up.
The programmer was jailed.
Another programmer, worked out that if he transferred the Banks money at the close of Business each night to a high interest Swiss account he could make loads of money. He wrote a program which transferred the Banks electronic reserve money at the close of business and returned it the before the bank opened the following day. He was caught out when the a glitch failed to return the money.
A Bank customer received his monthly statement which showed that his account was in credit to millions of Dollars, when should only have been a few hundred.
He went to the Bank to discuss the error. He informed the manager that there was a mistake on his account, the manager retorted we do not make mistakes. The account holder again stated that there was mistake, the manager dismissed the claims and escorted hi from the Bank.
Many months later the Bank discovered its error and demanded its funds back the account holder refused.
The Bank to took him to Court accusing of theft, which he denied.
On being questioned the Judge asked him if he had attempted to make the Bank aware of the problem, he replied, twice I informed them and they denied that there was a problem.
Asked by the Judge do you still have the money and have you used any of. The reply was its in a high interest account and no I have not used any of.
The Judge instructed the account holder to return the money which he agreed.
The Bank asked the Judge for the interest gained. The Judge replied no, the defendant twice tried to return the money, you ignored him, and my decision is that is that he keep the amount of interest gained.
Vic
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 06:03 AM
#2
Re: Early Computer Theft
Hi Vic.
I remember a film that was made about a young bloke putting the banks money in a big interest account overnight, I can't quiet remember , but didn't his mate do something to gain the money. They were sweating on it coming back.
Des
R510868
Lest We Forget
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 06:04 AM
#3
Re: Early Computer Theft
Well yesterday I received a letter from my bank to inform me that I had been credited with the enormous sum of 8 cents interest, not sure on what.
With another 42 cents I could buy a bread roll at the local bread shop.
But that will at this rate take over 5 years by which time the rolls will have increased in price.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller

-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 07:08 AM
#4
Re: Early Computer Theft
#3 They will also be stale John
.. JS
R575129
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 09:55 AM
#5
Re: Early Computer Theft

Originally Posted by
Victoria Moss
When we lived in UK my husband took out life insurance the subs taken out of our account every month. When we left UK we rang the insurance company to cancel the policy to find that there was none as the subs hadn't been paid to them!
Back to the bank to find that they had just "discovered" that one of their staff had been falsely steeling money such as ours.
Unfortunately as we were leaving shortly after to go to OZ we never got those subs back!
You should have pursued it Victoria you may have gotten a surprise. A 90 year old relative of mine died recently and we found a "penny policy" (a penny a week for 30 years or so) taken out in 1946, the sum assured was £12/10shillings. I almost threw it out as I thought it was probably junk, but I made one phone call and found it was valid and worth £785. You never know.
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 04:45 PM
#6
Re: Early Computer Theft
One of the best movies ever made { THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION } Tim Robbins played the brains behind the jails governors demise, And Morgan Freeman played the benefactor, Its a movie i can watch over and over and never get fed up with, The scene at the end when they both embrace on the sandy beach free and laughing all the way to the bank fills me with joy. Terry
{terry scouse}
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
3rd July 2021, 09:38 PM
#7
Re: Early Computer Theft
One great Movie that Terry!
Loved it!
Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website
R697530
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
5th July 2021, 01:15 AM
#8
Re: Early Computer Theft
Victoria.
When I was on the coast in NZ my brother told me o take out an insurance policy so that later it would be easy to get a loan. The bloke who did all the paper work for the insurance company said after twelve months you can get all the money back for a house, We ended up getting a Govt loan, so went to close the the insurance, they said you can't get it back for years, my wife said we will get a lawyer as your agent said we could, they found that the agent had been keeping the money sent in, we got it all back.
Des
R510868
Lest We Forget
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
5th July 2021, 06:36 AM
#9
Re: Early Computer Theft

Originally Posted by
Doc Vernon
One great Movie that Terry!
Loved it!
Watched an old but god one last night, 'The inside man' very good movie with a bit of a different ending.
Clive Owen and D. Washington in it.
When we left the UK I kept on an endowment policy.
Paid out after 44 years at 17 times what I paid in over the years.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller

-
Post Thanks / Like
-
5th July 2021, 11:34 PM
#10
Re: Early Computer Theft

Originally Posted by
Red Lead Ted
One of the best movies ever made { THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION } Tim Robbins played the brains behind the jails governors demise, And Morgan Freeman played the benefactor, Its a movie i can watch over and over and never get fed up with, The scene at the end when they both embrace on the sandy beach free and laughing all the way to the bank fills me with joy. Terry
I have been to that beach. It is in Mexico. Forgot the name for now.
It is a beautiful spot. We spent 14 years going to different all inclusive resorts down there.
-
Post Thanks / Like
Tags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules