The $218 Trillion Phone Bill

This must be the craziest “cellphone story” I’ve read for months:

A Malaysian man said he nearly fainted when he received a U.S. $218PHP 12,793INR 18,475EUR 208CNY 1,587 trillion phone bill and was ordered to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution, a newspaper reported Monday.

Yahaya Wahab said he disconnected his late father’s phone line in January after he died and settled the 84-ringgit (U.S. $23PHP 1,350INR 1,949EUR 22CNY 167) bill, the New Straits Times reported.

But Telekom Malaysia later sent him a 806,400,000,000,000.01-ringgit (U.S. $218PHP 12,793INR 18,475EUR 208CNY 1,587 trillion) bill for recent telephone calls along with orders to settle within 10 days or face legal proceedings, the newspaper reported.

It wasn’t clear whether the bill was a mistake, or if Yahaya’s father’s phone line was used illegally after his death.

Telekoms Malaysia must be the world’s richest company by now. (via IowaVoice)