ATMs in Ireland Dispensed €1000 to Each Customer for Nearly 24 Hours
The largest bank in Ireland experienced a technical glitch that led ATMs to automatically dispense €1000 to every customer, regardless of their account balance. This development has been reported by The Guardian.
The bank stated that it has resolved the "technical issue," which also enabled transfers beyond customer limits and rendered online banking and mobile applications unavailable.
"Our technical teams restored these services overnight, and they are available to customers this morning," the bank's statement published on Wednesday reads.
This incident prompted a significant influx of citizens to ATMs and compelled law enforcement to take measures to maintain public order. The disruption began on August 15th, when a malfunction in the banking system caused ATMs to dispense cash even to customers with a zero balance in their accounts. This information rapidly spread across social media, resulting in extensive queues at ATMs in various Irish cities.
The police noted an unusually high level of activity around ATMs and emphasized issues with the banking services of Bank of Ireland. Due to the mass influx of citizens to ATMs, certain bank branches required police protection.
Bank of Ireland cautioned customers that any attempt to exploit the error for cash withdrawal would be recorded, and the corresponding amount would be deducted from the customer's account, even if it resulted in a negative balance.
"Previous credits to accounts may appear during the day. We are aware that the technical issue has resulted in some customers being able to withdraw or transfer funds beyond their normal limits," the bank added.
On Wednesday, Bank of Ireland stated, "We urge all customers who may find themselves in financial difficulty due to funds being withdrawn to contact us."
Previously, the financial technology company Revolut announced that it was "investigating" reports of significant sums of money being transferred from Bank of Ireland to some of its customers' accounts.
During the disruptions at Bank of Ireland, some customers reported on social media that they were able to transfer funds to their Revolut digital banking app before withdrawing them from an ATM.