Lai See | A Russian Bank that didn't read the small print

Here's a strange tale from Russia about a man who received an unsolicited letter from Tinkoff Credit Systems offering a credit card. Dmitry Agarkov found the rates unattractive so he scanned the contract, included with the letter, and rewrote the terms to include 0 per cent interest rate, no fees, and no credit limit, Russia Today reports.

In addition, every time the bank breached these rules it would be fined three million roubles, (HK$706,343) and if it broke the contract the bank would have to pay Agarkov six million roubles. To his surprise the bank approved the terms and sent him a card. Obviously they had not read the small print.

Two years later TCS decided to sue Agarkov for 45,000 roubles in overdue payments. However, since this amount breached Agarkov's amended terms, the judge sided with Agarkov and told him to pay his outstanding balance of 19,000 roubles.

Now Agarkov is trying to sue the bank for 24 million roubles for breaking the terms of the agreement. The bank has responded by trying to launch a criminal case for fraud.

TCS founder Oleg Tinkov said on Twitter that Agarkov "will get four years in jail for fraud". According to Agarkov's lawyer these remarks made his client fear for his safety. It is not unknown for rich people to get the result they want from Russian courts.