North Carolina family returns mistaken $1M check to bank

June 6 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man who received a check mistakenly filled out for $1 million from his bank said he prayed before deciding to return it.

Eric Gabriel of Waxhaw said he had been expecting a check from Bank of America recently, but he was shocked when it arrived and he saw the amount: $1 million.

"We freaked out," Gabriel told WSOC-TV. "You kind of jump up and down."

He said the check was a tempting prospect.

"I could feel my flesh say, 'I want this,' but it wasn't mine," Gabriel said. "All these thoughts run through your mind, like, 'Oh, I can do this. I might not even have to work.'"

Gabriel said he and his wife decided to pray about the decision and he went over some relevant Bible verses that encouraged him to return the check instead of trying to cash it.

"We prayed about it and we decided the best thing to do is glorify God with everything we do, so we decided to take it back," he said.

He said the bank told him the check amount was indeed an error.

"They basically said, 'Oops, we made a mistake,' and that's all they said," Gabriel said.

A Bank of America representative confirmed the error and said the situation has been resolved.

"Christ in me wouldn't allow me to do the wrong thing," Gabriel said.