A comedic tragedy: $1,000 banknote damaged after being caught in ATM clutches

A citizen recently recounted his unexpected experience after an automated teller machine (ATM) damaged his HK$1,000 banknote.

The ATM user from Tai Po took to Facebook on Saturday (Feb 8) to share a photo, humorously titled the post "so funny," showing how half of his banknote ended up torn in two by the machine.  

The post sparked a flurry of reactions, with many joking that the ATM had become a "money-eating machine" while some worried that the tattered bill would be deemed invalid.  

Some even playfully blamed the incident on the "2244044" number on the banknote, teasing the poster that it was a bad sign and he should give out the money to ward off the bad luck.  

Regarding whether the poster could exchange his HK$1,000 banknote from the bank, some noted that the photo could serve as evidence, suggesting to inquire with the bank.  

Meanwhile, other internet users sought out the official statement of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority regarding the damaged banknotes, noting the banknotes can be returned to the issuing bank for exchange following the verification of the authenticity and degree of damage based on the established criteria such as the anti-counterfeiting features and the seriousness of the damage.  

As ATMs usually require users to deposit banknotes horizontally, the torn notes are suspected to have resulted from improper operations, where the bill was accidentally deposited vertically and then forcibly pulled out.  

Similar incidents have occurred in the past, with one posting his experience of the HK$1,000 banknote being stuck in the machine at Fortune Plaza, where the screen displayed the machine was "out of service, please contact the bank for assistance."