A Reddit confession with over 26,000 upvotes has sparked debate after a user admitted to keeping a $6,000 accidental refund from an online scrubs company — money they later used for a home down payment. The story raises questions about financial ethics: When is “found money” truly yours, and when is it theft?
An Accidental Windfall That Funded a Future
The original poster explained that they had returned $60 worth of ill-fitting scrubs, only to discover their bank account was credited with $6,000 days later. “I was living with my bf at the time and we were applying for a mortgage soon,” they wrote. “I decided well if they take it back, fine, but I'm not gonna call and say anything since it will just make our finances look a bit better when applying for a mortgage.”
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Seven years later, the money remains untouched by the company, presumably leaving OP in the clear. The post highlights how a simple clerical error can have life-changing financial consequences. While OP acknowledged initial fear, writing that they were “really scared for a while" about getting in trouble, the funds ultimately helped secure their mortgage.
But the ethical and legal implications divided the peanut gallery — more than 2,000 replies littered the post’s comment section.
The Reactions: Funny, Shady and Honest
The thread exploded with reactions, from jokes to confessions of similar — albeit mostly much humbler — windfalls. One user recounted how Amazon mistakenly shipped them $8,400 worth of fishing gear, twice, and told them to keep the extra due to a system error. Two commenters chimed in with stories of exploiting a now-patched Venmo bug that allowed phantom transfers, netting one user $1,000 and another $4,000.
Some responses were more noble tales, including one Redditor who admitted returning to a tire shop after being undercharged by $360. The grateful owner gave them a steep discount for being a good person. But the top reply was tongue-in-cheek: “This is the scrubs company. We'd like our money back. We take CashApp.”
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A Legal and Moral Gray Zone
While OP's windfall went unnoticed, legal experts warn that keeping erroneous deposits can constitute “unjust enrichment," meaning companies can reclaim the funds, even years later. And most banks and businesses have policies to reverse accidental transfers, although some slip through the cracks.
So for those facing a similar situation, personal finance experts would advise not to spend the cash immediately — banks can and do claw back errors. Of course, there's also the ethical cost. What seems like luck on your part could harm a small business.
However many commenters wrote that the poster should feel blameless: "Honestly, this is on them, if it were me I would consider my conscience clean." But it's not a financial strategy to rely on. And the bottom line is that although OP's story showcases an example of an accidental financial boost with no repercussions, it's a rare instance.
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