Faulty ATM gave away $75,000 LAKE STEVENS, April 21  A faulty automated teller machine at a McDonalds gave away more than $75,000 to at least seven people, court documents show. THE ATM, which was installed in July 1998 with the wrong software, allowed people to make withdrawals without deducting the money from their accounts, Everett lawyer Scott Decker told Snohomish County sheriffs detectives. Decker represents the ATMs owner, Diebold, of Nashville.

Detectives are trying to track down a 23-year-old Everett man suspected of withdrawing at least $18,060 from the machine. The man later closed his bank account, telling bank employees he was moving to Mexico, court records indicated.

Detectives have contacted seven people suspected of making fraudulent transactions. Several of them said they knew they were taking more money than they had in their accounts. An Everett District Court affidavit filed Wednesday in support of a search warrant did not say what authorities were planning to do in those cases.

The sheriffs office said no additional information would be released until an arrest was made.

http://www.msnbc.com/local/king/680455.asp

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 21, 2000