I lost $200,000 while battling cancer to a simple banking error – unofficial chat at our branch confirmed our worst fear
A HUSBAND battling cancer revealed he lost around $200,000 because of a banking error.
Stephen Tibbs and his wife Michelle were left without the money for months, fearing the worst.
The funds, which were eventually traced down, were going to be used to pay off their mortgage, per 9 News’ A Current Affair.
Stephen, who lives in Sydney, Australia, revealed he had withdrawn the money from his pension pot in the UK after being left unable to work because of his ill health.
He wired the funds to an Australian mortgage account, using the foreign exchange company Wise.
Michelle claimed that the funds had been deposited to a National Australia Bank account – but it emerged the money went to a different bank.
An amount just shy of $200,000 was deposited before the couple tried to wire another $30,000.
The first check went through, but the second deposit bounced back.
Stephen and Michelle then noticed that a single digit in the bank identifying number and the bank state branch code were wrong.
Michelle told 9News: “Spoke to the branch manager there, and unofficially he told us that there was not an account number linked to that branch.”
They were not members of the NAB so the bank couldn’t really help them.
The couple then contacted Wise and a representative reportedly told them that the process could take up to eight weeks.
A spokesperson for the organization said it has “no control” over users entering the wrong details.
Meanwhile, a representative for the NAB said they were pleased the funds were recovered.
But, they admitted: “The time it took and the experience Mr Tibbs had wasn’t good enough and we’re determined to do better.”
The U.S. Sun has approached Wise and National Australia Bank for comment.