Sunday, February 3, 2013

If You Are Ever Given a Check for $70 Million...

...never, never just toss it in your luggage. Inside pockets of wallets are made for things like this. I could probably, with ease, fit ten $70 million checks in my wallet, if properly folded. I'm ready.

But Iran's former central banker Tahmasb Mazaheri acted otherwise. He tossed a $70 million check, like a used sock, in his luggage. This was not a good idea. AP explains:
The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reports that a man caught last month trying to enter Germany with a check worth about $70 million was Iran's former central bank chief.

The weekly reports that customs officials at Duesseldorf airport found the check in Tahmasb Mazaheri's luggage Jan. 21 upon his arrival from Turkey.

German customs had issued a statement Friday saying a check for 300 million Venezuelan Bolivars issued by the Bank of Venezuela was found on an unnamed 59-year-old man.

Neither customs officials nor Iran's embassy could be reached for comment late Saturday.

Mazaheri was the governor of the Central Bank of Iran until 2008.

3 comments:

  1. Using Bitcoin would have avoided this problem

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...and when you can buy $70 million worth of bitcoins without moving the market, that is exactly how such transactions will be performed.

      The current market capitalization of bitcoins is already around $200 million, so that day is not far off, but for now a check is probably the best way for a bankster to launder some embezzled funds.

      Delete
  2. Of all the times I have received 70 million dollar checks, I have never tossed those checks in my luggage.

    ReplyDelete