Luna Park Sydney staff sacked after exploiting ATM error

Up to 20 staff at Luna Park Sydney have been dismissed after taking advantage of a faulty ATM at the amusement park.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that news of the faulty ATM in the Big Top pavilion spread quickly among employees. The ATM was dispensing $50 notes in the place of $20 notes.

The Herald reported that some staff returned to the ATM multiple times to empty their bank accounts but were caught out by Luna Park management.

As a result, it is understood 17 staff were sacked on Friday and escorted out, one by one, by security guards.

Before they quoted one former staff member as saying "stupidly, I was part of it."

According to the employees, news of the faulty ATM "spread like wildfire. One person told one person, who told one person. People were keeping it on the down-low; they would only tell their closest mates. To be honest, it surprised me that there weren't more people doing it.

"A few retail staff emptied their entire bank accounts (but) most were just doing a one-off."

The ATM company iCash Australia, which owns and maintains the cash dispenser at Luna Park but does not supply the cash, said the machine's camera took photographs of each employee as some returned repeatedly to withdraw money.

The cash in the machine was loaded incorrectly by Luna Park, iCash's chief executive, Kim Stewart, said "$50 notes notes had been placed in the section where the $20 notes were supposed to be, and vice versa."

Stewart said some individuals had performed "multiple transactions" after realising the error, adding "from what we understand, most of them were staff."

The Herald indicated that the staff were mostly working in retail, food and beverage areas and a few in function venues and games.

Luna Park management declined to comment on the matter, Managing Director, Peter Hearne, stating "it's a confidential matter between the company and the staff."

2nd July 2011 - LUNA PARK SYDNEY LAUNCHES WORLD FIRST ATTRACTIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION