German Bank Employee Sleeps at Keyboard and Accidentally Transfers €222 Million

Photograph courtesy of epSos

Many of have caught ourselves falling asleep at our desks after a very long week, but few are going to have caused quite such the problems as one German bank employee who accidentally transferred €222 million (£189 million) whilst asleep.

The news comes from a court case at the Hessen labour court, where a man was supposed to be making a routine €62.40 transfer, but “fell asleep for an instant, while pushing the number 2 key on the keyboard” – making a transfer for €222,222,222.22 instead.

The bank discovered the error shortly afterwards and corrected the mistake, but not before the sleepy man’s colleague, who brought the case to court, had been fired for missing the mistake when verifying the order. The court ruled that he should be reinstated.