Boston Woman Becomes Millionaire for 10 Minutes After Bank Account Mix-Up

Forget playing the lottery: A Boston woman became a millionaire for 10 minutes after a banker apparently mistook her for another person with the same name. 

Ellen Fleming, 26, was startled to receive a voicemail from TD Ameritrade about a deposit made to her account Wednesday, she told the Boston Globe. When she checked on the company's app, she saw that over $1 million had been added to her balance.

Fleming was tempted to keep the money, she said. But her better nature (and fear of prison) won out in the end.

“You need to take every opportunity that’s handed to you,” she said. “But that seemed like an opportunity that could lead me to federal prison, so it didn’t seem worth it.”

She then called the bank, which informed her that the money was supposed to be sent to another Ellen Fleming in Florida. 

TD Ameritrade confirmed the mix-up to the Globe and said it was quickly corrected after Fleming called to alert them. 

As for Fleming's account, the balance now stands at just $63. 

"Please make sure that in my obituary I am referred to as 'One-time millionaire, Ellen Fleming,'" she tweeted Wednesday.

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