Process Fun: Sleepy German bank clerk’s 22.2 million euro error

Add bookmark

Oops – did you mean 222,2222,222.22 or 62.40?

Feeling a bit tired on the job is something to which we can all relate. Perhaps a late night the day before or a spot of insomnia leaves us feeling a little like old Rip Van Winkle. Most of the time fatigue results in nothing more than a slight dip in productivity.

But one German bank clerk found out the hard way that sleepiness can be serious. As in 222,222,222.22 million euros ($29.6 million USD) worth of serious.

The clerk, at an unnamed German bank, fell asleep with his finger on the 2 key as he was transferring 62.40 euro (83.06) from a pensioner's bank account.

The case recently emerged at an employment tribunal case brought by the bank supervisor who had been fired for not spotting the mistake. The bank supervisor said she had checked over 800 documents of transactions that day and that failing to spot the fat-fingered mistake was an honest error. (The court agreed, ruling that she should have received a warning rather than getting sacked).

Time for a new compliance strategy?

Meanwhile, rumour has it that the bank has put additional compliance procedures in place which include a mandatory cup of coffee for all employees in the morning. (We’re kidding about this of course….)


Upcoming Events

Business Transformation World Summit

January 26 - 28, 2026

Hyatt Regency Miami, Florida, US

Business Transformation World Summit

All Access: Future of BPM 2026

10 February 2026

Free PEX Network Webinar Series

All Access: Future of BPM 2026

All Access: AI in PEX APAC 2026

March 17 - 18, 2026

Free PEX Network Webinar Series

All Access: AI in PEX APAC 2026

The Connected Worker: Energy Summit

March 23 - 25, 2026

The Westin Galleria Houston, Texas

The Connected Worker: Energy Summit

All Access: AI in PEX 2026

March 24 - 25, 2026

Free PEX Network Webinar Series

All Access: AI in PEX 2026

Latest Webinars

End-to-end portfolio and asset management transformation with Powerco and TNB

2025-12-17

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM SGT

This session goes beyond theory, offering concrete examples of how two transmission and distribution...

Transformation trends 2026: Turning AI-native strategy into enterprise reality

2025-12-09

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST

As AI-native platforms reshape how enterprises operate, organizations must move beyond one-off initi...

From Chaos to Clarity – A Playbook for Orchestrating Outcomes at Scale

2025-12-02

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM SGT

Join us for the final webinar of Making AI Work Webinar Series. Uncover the path to reducing complex...

Recommended