The Sucker's ATM

Debate Topic: Is taking and using unexpected property without permission and with knowledge of a system error, essentially 'theft'? Scenario: You go to an ATM to withdraw $100 (or NTD), but the machine dispenses $10,000! The printed receipt, however, still shows only $100 withdrawn. You check your account online and find that only £100 was debited. You hide the windfall in a safe place, thinking the bank will soon discover the error and ask for it back. Weeks pass, and the bank never contacts you. After two months, you decide no one will claim the money. You grab your bag with the hefty down payment, ready to buy your dream car. On the way to the dealership, you feel a pang of conscience. Isn't this theft? But you quickly convince yourself: "I didn't intentionally take it; it came to me. Besides, it wasn't stolen from an individual; it's a drop in the ocean for a large bank, and they're insured against such accidents. If the bank suffers a loss, it's their fault – their system is terrible." •If the object is changed to a small vendor's mistake in giving change, the proportion of people choosing to return it significantly increases. •Just as when you mistakenly take someone else's luggage at baggage claim, even if it was unintentional at first, you must never justify not returning it once you realize the other person's item is more valuable. Conversely, we get angry when our belongings are taken.