JEDDAH: A technical fault at an ATM in Jeddah resulted in the machine giving out more cash than sought. The ‘sick’ ATM unfortunately attracted the attention of some dishonest people, who queued up for their turn.

However, the unusual crowd at the ATM raise the suspicion of a Saudi citizen, who quickly informed the police.

“I sought SR250 from the ATM but got SR700. I then thought I might have mistakenly pressed the wrong button. I tried again to get SR50, but the machine ejected SR500 and the balance deducted was shown as SR50 only from my account,” said Aziz Al-Ghamdi.

It could not be ascertained how much losses were suffered by the financial institution which has stalled the ATM.

Police kept a watch on the ATM until the fault was repaired, Al-Ghamdi said without mentioning the bank’s name.

He said he saw many expats in the ATM cabin, but they fled after seeing him.