Boy gets £44,000 windfall on Ebay

Cash comes with secondhand Playstation 2 - and parents hand it to police

A teenager who bought a second-hand Playstation 2 for £95 on Ebay got a pleasant surprise when his package also contained £44,000 in cash.

The boy won the auction for the console and two games. The two games never arrived but £44,000 is considered by many to be fair compensation. However, the windfall was short-lived since the boy’s parents reported it to the police. However, the package arrived back in March, which begs the question why it was only reported recently?

The police and Ebay are now trying to track the seller, who might be wondering where his shoebox of cash went. The police can hang onto the cash until September when the case comes up in court but, if unclaimed, the family can apply for its return under the Police Property Act.

“We know that Ebay is a great place to pick up a bargain, although in this case, we agree that the contents of the parcel were somewhat unusual and we will assist with any inquiries the police may wish to make,” an Ebay spokesperson told the BBC.