It would be entirely dishonest if you were to keep the money, and worse for your friend to do so, and profit from what sounds like a genuine administrative mistake. (Yes, the dealing rooms make a good "turn" on currency deals, but that isn't the point here, is it?).

Contact the firm that supplied the currency, and tell them what's happened. They'll follow it up and, you never know, your friend's bank account might suddenly become overdrawn without warning and incur bank charges. Serve him/her right.

I would actually. I don't have much money but no matter how little I will always be honest.

I wouldn't want to keep him as a friend if that meant going against my principles. They had the money to pay for the currency so could obviously afford it.

You are not being dishonest you paid him the money. what happened to it after that is not your concern. he did not have to tell you and can make up his own mind what to do. only time will tell if he has to pay it back, and did nothing dishonest or with any sort of intent to defraud. I see it as a long or short term interest free loan from the company, not a person which would be a different matter and mistake should be pointed out. The persons job would not be at risk if they were competent as they could trace back where the mistake was made without personal loss, as this was a banking not cash transaction, and reclaim the money.

You said that my opinion would be different were I to be offered half and that would be dishonest.

I agree that what the friend does is up to him but the OP seems to think they are entitled to some of it

As the title says - spot on answer. I also bet your friend now wishes he hadn't told you. It really is his moral dilema and if you now 'grass him up' after already asking for the money back from him you're not much of a friend to him and also on dodgy moral ground.

As someone who works dealing with currency, given this could mean someone loosing their job/or replacing it from their wages (for a possible genuine mistake) personally I think you should tell him to own up, would he appreciate the bank just taking £400 out because the transaction went through twice?! No, so why keep it?

In terms of your money it really isn't yours as you should have currency in its place and if he never mentioned it in the first place, it would never have been something you would be dealing with.
I would suggest you either grass him in if it would make you feel better (which given you've asked peoples opinions it probably would do) or get over it!

Are you sure? I'm no lawyer, but I would find it surprising if we have a legal obligation to remind a payee to collect payment.

BTW I was once in the position of being sent two cheques for the same amount I was supposed to receive (from a government body). It was a large amount (nearly £10,000) and I was sorely tempted to pay both cheques into my account. But in the end I sent one back. I'm not sure whether it was moral considerations or fear of the law that played the larger part in my decision. I don't even know whether I would have been committing any crime. Is it an offence to accept money that you've been sent in error? Anyway, I was a bit miffed that I didn't even receive a "thank you" in reply!

P.S. Forgot to mention I had another such case recently, when I moved into a flat where the electricity meter had never been registered, so electricity was not being billed for. If I'd done nothing about it I'd probably still be getting free electricity. I decided to do the honest thing, but you can't believe how much effort it was to get someone to start billing me!

P.P.S. On re-reading my first paragraph, I'm having second thoughts. It seems plausible that, if you've entered into a transaction, you have a legal obligation to make sure your side of the transaction (your payment in this case) is completed. Still, I would think that failure to do so would be a breach of contract, and not theft. But I'm not a lawyer, so what do I know?

I was given an extra £100 by the girl in my bank, the one I use every week, which I took back the following week. She was so delighted and thankful because, as she explained, everything she had done since had been scrutinised and a black mark had been lodged against her trustworthyness. It was only(!) £100 to me but it meant so much more to her and yes - I did feel good.

Completely different situation and 100% correct thing to do as personal contact.

The clear line between thrift and theft is seemingly unknown on this site, and it is intentionally blurred by those that should know better.

Morals and moneysaving it seems are mutually exclusive.

No wonder our society is going down the drain! The money is not theirs to argue about and keeping it is a criminal offence!

Such a sad indictment that so many in the forum think it is OK to keep it!

This is just like that old quiz show where the audience shout “ take the money, open the box!”

You expected to pay £200 for your Euros, you gave your friend £200 and they gave you your Euros. You had what you wanted, you are not out of pocket and more importantly you have done nothing wrong.

Whatever dishonest activity your friend wants to get involved in is their problem. I am sure it wont go unnoticed forever and the bureau de change will soon be claiming what they are due from your friend's bank.

Don't get involved and don't upset your friendship over something that you know is morally wrong and is most likely to be sorted soon anyway - and don't rat on your friend either.

If it is never sorted then, so what - you are still no worse off and have a clear conscience too.

Never a truer word said............

I would ring the bureau and inform them of their mistake. Then the money would have to stay in the friend's bank account so that the bureau could take it.