You open your mailbox and amongst the bills and a coupon for KFC, you find a check. It's not your paycheck. It's not a birthday check from Grandma Sue. It's a check in the amount of $95,093.35! The check looks real, minus one tiny detail--printed in the upper right corner are the words "non-negotiable for cash."

The check, of course, wasn't real and Patrick Combs, one of the thousands who received this check, decided he would keep it. And deposit it into his ATM on May 19th. “It was fun,” states Combs. “Like putting Monopoly money into the bank.” Chuckling all the way home, he pictured a bank teller opening the deposit envelope and the look of surprise when he saw the amount, then noticing it was a sample check.

The bank never called. Combs figured they were mailing the check back, so he didn’t think about it. However, two days later he withdrew cash from the ATM. To his amazement, his transaction receipt showed an enormous balance of over one hundred thousand dollars!

Hardly able to control his excitement on the way home, he called up a friend immediately. He explained the situation like a giddy schoolboy. After checking with his own bank, Combs’ friend gave him the disheartening news—the bank will credit an account for any amount deposited, but it’s only a credit. The money cannot be touched until the check clears. Or in Combs’ case, if the check cleared.

For the next two days, Patrick Combs called his bank to check his account balance. As before, it remained over a hundred grand. Finally, unable to withstand his patience, he went to his bank and asked about funds available. Shockingly, the money was at his disposal. Without giving it a second thought, Combs withdrew $7000 of the money and fled the bank.

With his Monopoly money now turned into a tangible fortune, Patrick Combs consulted his friends about the biggest decision he ever had to make—To leave the country or not to leave. He could easily withdraw the rest of the cash and live happily, and wealthy, somewhere else.

Two weeks later, the remaining balance was still sitting in his account, beckoning him to give into temptation once again. But first, he decided to do a little research on his own. After much consulting and reading about the law, he learned many things. But the most important thing was: a declaration on a check that is not negotiable is ineffective. Translation? The get-rich-quick company had accidentally designed a real check—and he had actually deposited it!

Who would’ve guessed that having a sense of humor would pay off?