There’s nosy, and then there’s this guy.
In a viral TikTok video, a man looked through the trash can of his local bank for ATM receipts to see how much money people really have in their accounts. One of the numbers he shared was shockingly low.
In the clip, Antonio (@user880725700901) explains that he was at his local Capital One using the ATM and noticed that people chucked their ATM receipts into the trash bin that was just a foot away from him.
“I’m like, ‘Hmmm. Let me see how America’s doing.’ Felt like being nosy,” Antonio says with a chuckle.
He reaches his hand into the pin and grabs the first receipt. It has a $438.94 balance. “Sh*t,” Antonio says.
The numbers only go down from there, with the next one coming in at $173.28 and the last just a mere $.57—not even a full dollar.
“Damn, bro. America going through it, man. What would happen if they get like, a sickness in the family or some emergency? Sh*t is not easy to live out here in 2023 nowadays,” Antonio adds, worried about the country’s financial situation.
Over half of American adults are giving paycheck to paycheck, and about 70% are stressed about their finances due to rising interest rates and a lack of savings, CNBC reported.
“That’s why I never print out receipts, I don’t need that type of negativity in my life,” the top comment, with 10,000 likes, read.
“I called to check my balance once & I swear the automated dude whispered $0.08 like he was embarrassed for me,” a person said.
“I thought I was the only one I be embarrassed to check how much I got around people,” another wrote.
@user880725700901 #thestruggleisreal😭 ♬ original sound – Antonio
Antonio’s video has over 600,000 views and more than 2,500 comments as of Monday morning.
As we saw in the video, people tend to chuck their ATM receipt once their transaction is complete, not wanting to be burdened by what they may see as an unnecessary little piece of paper that’ll just add trash to their pocket or bag.
But apparently, it’s important not to leave that receipt behind. It is suggested that bank customers take their receipts with them, even after an incomplete transaction, according to White State Bank, a local bank serving parts of Iowa. The information on discarded ATM receipts can lead to identity theft and possible account hijacking.
The Daily Dot reached out to Antonio via TikTok direct message.
Update 10:20pm CT, Nov. 3: On Friday, Bank of America warned users that there were deposit delays affecting its customers, according to Reuters. According to Reuters:
The issue could be stemming from The Clearing House (TCH), a core payments system infrastructure owned by some of the largest commercial banks in the world.
“TCH has experienced a processing issue with a single Automated Clearing House (ACH) file. TCH is working with impacted financial institutions on the matter,” a spokesperson for the association said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
It also warned consumers to expect a slower-than-usual holiday season.