Current:Home > StocksHe got an unexplained $250,000 payment from Google. The company says it was a mistake-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
He got an unexplained $250,000 payment from Google. The company says it was a mistake
View Date:2025-01-12 21:56:15
Sam Curry, a self-described hacker, says he was mysteriously paid $249,999.99 by Google last month and that he had no idea why the tech giant simply handed over a quarter-million dollars.
"It's been a little over 3 weeks since Google randomly sent me $249,999 and I still haven't heard anything on the support ticket. Is there any way we could get in touch @Google," Curry tweeted on Tuesday with a screenshot of the transaction.
He added: "it's OK if you don't want it back..."
A staff security engineer at Yuga Labs, Curry told NPR that he sometimes does bug bounty hunting for companies including Google. That's when people are paid to help firms and other organizations find vulnerabilities in their software.
But he says he was unable to figure out a link between bug bounty hunting for Google and the sum dumped into his bank account.
The money was available for Curry to spend, but he said he was simply holding onto it in case Google tried to get it back. He said if Google took too long to get back to him, he might have to move the cash into a separate account to avoid paying taxes on it.
Ultimately, Curry guessed that Google most likely paid him accidentally. Turns out he was right.
In a statement to NPR, a Google spokesperson said: "Our team recently made a payment to the wrong party as the result of human error. We appreciate that it was quickly communicated to us by the impacted partner, and we are working to correct it."
The company intended to get the money back, the spokesperson said.
For his part, Curry said he was curious how often something like this happens at Google and what systems the company has in place to check for similar errors.
As of Thursday afternoon, he said he still had the money in his account.
veryGood! (2753)
Related
- Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case
- Arkansas school district says it will continue offering AP African American Studies course
- These Towel Scrunchies With 7,800+ 5-Star Reviews Dry My Long Hair in 30 Minutes Without Creases
- What to know about Team USA in the FIBA World Cup: Schedule, format, roster and more
- Lady Gaga Joins Wednesday Season 2 With Jenna Ortega, So Prepare to Have a Monster Ball
- Patrick Hamilton, ex-AP and Reuters photographer who covered Central American wars, dies at 74
- Aldi to buy 400 Winn-Dixie, Harveys groceries in Southern US
- Hurricanes cause vast majority of storm deaths in vulnerable communities
- Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
- Judge Scott McAfee, assigned to preside over Trump's case in Georgia, will face a trial like no other
Ranking
- West Virginia expands education savings account program for military families
- Horoscopes Today, August 16, 2023
- Lahaina natives describe harrowing scene as Maui wildfire raged on: It's like a bomb went off
- Tennessee man who killed 8 gets life in prison in surprise plea deal after new evidence surfaces
- What Just Happened to the Idea of Progress?
- The Taliban believe their rule is open-ended and don’t plan to lift the ban on female education
- Who did the Fulton County D.A. indict along with Trump? Meet the 18 co-conspirators in the Georgia election case
- Stevie Nicks praises 'Daisy Jones & the Six' portrayal, wishes Christine McVie 'could have seen it'
Recommendation
-
Pistons' Tim Hardaway Jr. leaves in wheelchair after banging head on court
-
Sophie Turner Wears Matching PJs With “Handsome” Husband Joe Jonas in Birthday Tribute
-
After Maui's deadly fires, one doctor hits the road to help those in need
-
Madonna announces new North American dates for her Celebration Tour
-
MLS playoff teams set: Road to MLS Cup continues with conference semifinals
-
'All hands on deck': 500-pound alligator caught during Alabama hunting season
-
Tennessee man who killed 8 gets life in prison in surprise plea deal after new evidence surfaces
-
Pushing back on limits elsewhere, Vermont’s lieutenant governor goes on banned books tour