A factory worker in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, is facing a lawsuit after allegedly refusing to return more than 7 million rubles (around Rs. 25 million) that his employer accidentally transferred to his account due to a software glitch.
Earlier this year, Vladimir Rychagov received a notification from his bank showing not only his expected vacation pay of 46,954 rubles (Rs. 1.65 Lac), but also an unexpected windfall — a massive 7,112,254 rubles (Rs. 25.03 million).
Rumors had been circulating among employees about a potential end-of-year bonus, so at first, Rychagov thought he had simply gotten lucky.
However, his excitement quickly faded when the accounting department contacted him, explaining that the large payment was a mistake and demanding he return it.
Rychagov, unsure of what to do, turned to the internet for answers. “I found that if it was a technical error, I didn’t have to return it. But if it was a billing error, I did,” he told a local news channel. “Later, I realized it was a technical issue, so I decided to keep the money.”
According to court filings, the funds had been intended for the salaries of 34 workers at a different branch of the company. A software malfunction caused the entire amount to be sent to Rychagov’s account instead. The company argued that he was legally required to return the funds.
Rychagov, however, claimed the money was transferred under the company’s name and marked as “salary” in the payment details — meaning, in his view, the payment was legitimate.
Tensions reportedly escalated after he refused to return the money. Rychagov said he began receiving threats from company representatives, prompting him to use part of the funds to buy a new car and move to another city with his family. Shortly after, the company filed a lawsuit, and his bank accounts were frozen.
“They accused me of colluding with an accountant and committing financial fraud,” Rychagov recalled. “But those charges were dismissed for lack of evidence.”
Despite the dismissal, the legal battle continued. Both the initial court and appellate court ruled in favor of the company, concluding that Rychagov was not owed any overdue wages and that the 7 million rubles did not qualify as salary. The worker was ordered to return the full amount.
Rychagov appealed to the Supreme Court, which has agreed to review the case. He maintains that he is entitled to keep the money. “I received 45,000 rubles for vacation pay and 7,112,000 rubles as December salary,” he said. “We were told to expect a big 13th salary, so I had no reason to doubt it.”
The company’s acting CEO, Roman Tudachkov, offered a brief statement to Russian media, insisting the payment was an error. “There was no 13th salary involved. It was a mistaken transfer,” Tudachkov said. “We’re handling this matter strictly through legal channels.”