North Carolina family returns check incorrectly written for $1 million

WAXHAW, N.C. — A Waxhaw, North Carolina, family received a check from Bank of America for the wrong amount, just over $1 million.

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The family did the right thing and alerted the bank.

But first, Eric Gabriel and his family couldn't believe what they saw.

“We freaked out,” Gabriel said. “You kind of jump up and down.”

Gabriel was expecting cash from the bank, but not that much.

He admitted the thought of becoming a millionaire overnight was tempting.

“I could feel my flesh say, 'I want this,' but it wasn't mine,” Gabriel said. “All these thoughts run through your mind, like, 'Oh, I can do this. I might not even have to work.’”

Gabriel ultimately gave the check back.

“We prayed about it and we decided the best thing to do is glorify God with everything we do, so we decided to take it back,” Gabriel said.

A spokesperson for Bank of America confirms the incident has been resolved.

Gabriel said the mistake surprised him because several people had to sign off on the check before it landed in his hands.

“They basically said, ‘Oops, we made a mistake,’ and that's all they said,” Gabriel said.

While he isn't rolling in the cash, Gabriel is sleeping well at night knowing he did the right thing.

“Christ in me wouldn't allow me to do the wrong thing,” he said.

Cox Media Group