It’s rare that a typo saves the day. But that was the case last month, when a spelling error helped stop what could’ve been a nearly $1 billion digital heist.
A group of unknown hackers penetrated Bangladesh’s central bank several weeks ago, Reuters reports. The tech-savvy thieves went on to request a series of fraudulent transfers from that bank’s account at the New York Federal Reserve to groups in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
The hackers successfully transferred about $81 million. But the damage could’ve been far worse were it not for a typo in one of the hackers’ transfer requests, says Retuers:
The total value of the transactions stopped after the typo was discovered totaled as much as $870 million. The message to hackers? Use spellcheck, guys.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- The New Face of Doctor Who
- Putin’s Enemies Are Struggling to Unite
- Women Say They Were Pressured Into Long-Term Birth Control
- Scientists Are Finding Out Just How Toxic Your Stuff Is
- Boredom Makes Us Human
- John Mulaney Has What Late Night Needs
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com