What began as a TikTok trend promising “free money” from Chase Bank ATMs has spiraled into one of the most striking examples of how viral misinformation can collide with financial crime. As federal investigators trace digital breadcrumbs, ordinary users who believed they’d found a loophole now face lawsuits and potential felony charges.
A Viral Illusion of “Free Money”
It started like many internet fads do — a video, a rumor, and a promise too good to resist. Across TikTok and Instagram, users whispered about a supposed “glitch” in Chase Bank ATMs that allowed anyone to withdraw more than they had in their account. The method, dubbed the “infinite money glitch,” spread rapidly through videos showing people making deposits and withdrawing large sums in quick succession.
But the glitch wasn’t real. Participants were, in fact, exploiting a check-processing delay — depositing fake or non-existent checks, then withdrawing funds before the bank’s systems could verify authenticity. When the checks inevitably bounced, Chase was left with the losses — and participants with a trail of digital evidence linking them to fraud.
“There is no such thing as free money,” one investigator said, echoing a lesson hundreds of users learned too late.
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The Mechanics of a Viral Crime
The scheme was simple yet devastating. Participants deposited counterfeit checks — sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — into Chase ATMs. Because banks typically allow limited access to deposited funds before full clearance, scammers withdrew smaller but significant amounts in the interim.
In one Houston case, a man allegedly deposited a fake check for $335,000(₹2.9 crores) and managed to withdraw most of it over two days before the fraud was detected. By the time Chase froze the account, he owed nearly $291,000(₹25.55 lakh).
JPMorgan Chase confirmed that it had filed multiple lawsuits in Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami, targeting individuals and businesses accused of collectively stealing more than $661,000. A spokesperson told Fortune the bank had “acted swiftly” to warn customers and pursue legal action as soon as the scam’s social media spread became apparent.
From Hoax to Federal Investigation
According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), check fraud has surged across the United States in recent years, becoming “the largest source of illicit proceeds in the country.” Traditionally, most cases involved mail theft or delivery fraud, but digital-age variants — like the Chase ATM “hack” — are proliferating.
Experts warn that the internet’s viral ecosystem has accelerated participation in these crimes.
“Because the glitch went viral online, more people likely participated than usual, being influenced by the prospect of easy money,” FinCEN analysts noted.
The practice — legally known as check kiting — involves exploiting time lags in bank processing to access funds that don’t exist. Cornell Law and banking institutions alike classify it as a form of check fraud, a crime that can be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the amount involved. In most states, defrauding over $500(₹43,912) constitutes a felony.
The New Face of Old Fraud
While checkbooks may feel like relics of the past, check fraud has quietly resurfaced in the digital economy. Chase officials said that even as fewer people write checks, fraudsters are finding new ways to weaponize outdated financial infrastructure — blending analog systems with viral online tactics.
“This kind of check fraud was really just a viral hoax and a crime,” the bank stated. What many saw as a harmless internet trick has now become a cautionary tale about the perils of digital groupthink.
