An Aussie bartender who burned through $1.6million in four months after a banking glitch gave him 'free money' has revealed all in a new YouTube series called The Glitch.
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glitch → burn → series
In early 2011 during a night out at a local pub, Dan Saunders, from Wangaratta in Victoria, stumbled across a technical fault in National Australia Bank's ATM system.
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Saunders → stumble → system
Saunders, then aged 29, found the loophole after transferring $200 from his credit card to his bank account, which had just $3.
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which → find → 3
The ATM said the transaction failed, but the money appeared nonetheless and he realised he had a way to transfer from his credit to his savings account whenever the system was 'offline' for one hour each night due to network maintenance.
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system → say → maintenance
After making the discovery, he continued drinking with his friends at the local pub before returning to the ATM later that night where he repeated the trick.
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he → make → trick
Saunders spent the next four months living the high life, splurging $1.6million on private jets, exclusive restaurants, luxury hotels, limousines, champagne and gambling.
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Saunders → spend → jets
But when guilt and anxiety overcame him, he outed himself on A Current Affair, drawing the attention of police and ultimately being charged with 111 offences relating to fraud and theft.
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he → overcome → fraud
In the new YouTube series 'The Glitch', the episodes of which are available to Daily Mail readers before public release, Saunders described how he made the discovery.
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he → describe → discovery
Dan Saunders (pictured) has opened up about how he burned through $1.6million in four months after a banking glitch gave him 'free money'
Saunders (left) made the discovery while at an ATM during a night out drinking with friends
Saunders said he tried to make a transfer between his savings account and credit card before successfully withdrawing money despite a 'cancelled' transaction.
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he → picture → transaction
He then returned to the pub, drank more with friends before leaving and trying his luck once more.
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He → return → luck
'We leave [the pub], then it starts to rain...
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it → leave → pub
I've got to walk home...
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I → get → ?
so I'm like, "I'll just stop in at the ATM",' he said.
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he → stop → ATM
'I certainly didn't need more money at that point, like nothing was open.
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nothing → need → point
I couldn't have gone anywhere.
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I → go → ?
So, out of pure curiosity and probably a bit of beer, I've just gone back in to just see what happens here.
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what → go → beer
Saunders then detailed how he racked up thousands of dollars on both of his cards.
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he → detail → cards
I had about $19,140 or something like that in my hand, and the rain stopped.
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rain → have → hand
I was like, "Perfect, great",' he said.
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he → say → ?
'I put the money in my wallet and, yeah, just went home, went to bed, and I remember distinctly waking up in the morning and I was like, "Oh, hell of a dream.
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I → put → dream
That was a weird dream to have".
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That → have → ?
Then I knelt, looked to the side, and on the right-hand side of me was this bedside table and a wallet full of cash.
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table → kneel → cash
And I was like, "Wow, that really did happen".'
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that → happen → ?
After making the discovery, Saunders spent the next four months enjoying a lifestyle of private jets, exclusive restaurants, luxury hotels, limousines, champagne and gambling
In the new YouTube series 'The Glitch', Saunders describes how he first discovered the banking loophole
'The Glitch', which attracted more than 2.6 million podcast downloads, has now been adapted into a six-part YouTube series for True Crime Central.
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which → make → Central
The first instalment launches on October 3 and is available to Daily Mail readers from Friday.
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instalment → launch → Friday
It features exclusive interviews and first-hand accounts from Saunders, his friends and investigative journalist Adam Shand, who broke the story in 2014.
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who → feature → 2014
In the first instalment, alongside his account of how he ended up with nearly $20,000 in one night, Saunders said he had been a trustworthy member of society.
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he → end → society
'I'd done probably two things wrong that I was never caught for,' he told podcast host Jay Walkerden, referencing his decision at five years old to walk out of a shop with a bedspread set that his mother liked.
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mother → do → that
The other anecdote surrounded his time working at a casino as a young adult and sneaking into a swimming pool.
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anecdote → surround → pool
Saunders has previously reflected on his former life, including one interview during which he said he felt like a 'white Kanye West' while spending the money.
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he → reflect → money
'I've never felt more alive than when I was charging on my credit card,' he said in 2014.
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he → feel → 2014
'With the NAB card, I could be anyone I wanted to be, go anywhere I wanted to go, do anything as long as I had the card in my back pocket.
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I → want → pocket
I felt like a king.'
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I → feel → king
Police issued a warrant for his arrest after he appeared on national television, and he was later sentenced to 12 months' jail.
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he → issue → jail
He was also ordered to repay $200,000 of what he had taken and carry out 18 months of community service.
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he → order → service
'It felt so good - my brain is a bit different to everyone else's,' he said of the punishment.
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he → feel → punishment
The first episode of ‘The Glitch’ will launch on True Crime Central on October 3, with subsequent episodes published weekly.
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episodes → launch → October
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