There is a good chance that you will have suffered from the knock-on effects of a spreadsheet error, but has it ever been as bad as any of these?
A list of the high profile mishaps caused by spreadsheet errors
(as reported by the traditional and online media)
News Channel 8 – 22 Jan 2019
Students accidentally emailed acceptance to wrong list. https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/usf-st-pete-offers-apology-reason-for-mistake-acceptance-letters/1717286986
Health IT Security – 13 Dec 2018
Patient Data leaked due to emailing of unencrypted spreadsheet. https://healthitsecurity.com/news/email-error-lack-of-encryption-breaches-nebraska-patient-data
The Times Record – 07 Dec 2018
City Council Budget & Payment Errors https://www.timesrecord.com/articles/local/bath-fixes-landfill-debt-error/
The Canberra Times – 23 July 2018
Festival budget overspend due to Excel error https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/floriade-budget-bungle-strengthens-case-for-overhaul-20180720-p4zsq6.html
Deeside.com – 12 July 2018
Council accidentally breaches its lending limit by £2 million http://www.deeside.com/council-accidentally-breaches-its-lending-limit-by-2-million/
Independent – 03 July 2018
KPMG audits full of spreadsheet errors https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/kpmg-conviviality-audit-wine-rack-bargain-booze-financial-reporting-council-big-four-accountants-a8428686.html
Komo News – 19 Feb 2016
Seattle students sent wrong exam results
http://komonews.com/news/local/oops-hundreds-of-seattle-student-test-results-mailed-to-wrong-address
Financial Times – 21 Jul 2015
FT reports from 16th Annual conference of the European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group in London
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0fdc6e62-2f23-11e5-91ac-a5e17d9b4cff.html#axzz3geid2SKC
Financial Times Blog ‘Alphaville’ – 29 Jun 2015
Law firm Slater and Gordon share trading suspended due to accidental mis-reporting due to spreadsheet error>
http://ftalphaville.ft.com/2015/06/29/2129518/slater-gordon-oops-we-double-counted-the-cash/
StreetsBlog San Fransisco – 22 Jun 2015
Cycling statistics misreported when traffic lane layouts changed
http://sf.streetsblog.org/2015/06/22/sfmta-retracts-report-of-651-jump-in-bike-traffic-on-san-jose-avenue/
Guardian – 19 Jun 2015
Sydney Siege review not given letter because of spreadsheet tab error
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/19/sydney-siege-review-not-given-monis-letter-because-of-spreadsheet-tab-error
Melbourne Herald Sun – 25 May 2015
Local Government Association overcharges councils for membership over a 10 year period
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/local-government-association-says-it-will-issue-refunds-after-mathematical-error-led-to-councils-being-overcharged-more-than-70k/story-fnii5yv7-1227368489707
Telegraph – 16 May 2015
WI members miss out on Buck House tea party due to admin spreadsheet error
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/11608366/Womens-Institute-in-disgrace-over-royal-party-let-down.html
The Actuary – 8 Apr 2015
Spreadsheet errors prove costly for UK companies
http://www.theactuary.com/news/2015/04/spreadsheet-errors-prove-costly-for-uk-companies
Telegraph – 7 Apr 2015
20% of large businesses have suffered losses due to spreadsheet errors.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/11518242/Stupid-errors-in-spreadsheets-could-lead-to-Britains-next-corporate-disaster.html
Stuff.co.nz – 2 Apr 2015
Winner of Glammies forced to return trophy
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/sheep/67594845/Glammies-testing-error-causes-no-contest-in-NZs-tastiest-lamb-competition
Wall Street Journal – 16 Oct 2014
Spreadsheet Mistake Costs Tibco Shareholders $100 Million
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/10/16/spreadsheet-mistake-costs-tibco-shareholders-100-million/
Guardian – 18 Apr 2013
Austerity policy based on error-strewn economic paper
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/18/uncovered-error-george-osborne-austerity
Guardian 4 Apr 2013
Spreadsheet risk and the threat of cyber attacks in finance
http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/apr/04/spreadsheet-risk-cyber-threat-finance
Accounting Web – 10 Oct 2012West Coast mainline franchising process restarted
http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/article/rail-franchising-excel-error-strikes-again/532450
Telegraph – 4 Jan 2012
London 2012 Olympics tickets over-sold
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/8992490/London-2012-Olympics-lucky-few-to-get-100m-final-tickets-after-synchronised-swimming-was-overbooked-by-10000.html
Telegraph – 30 Sep 2011
Office for National Statistics releases incorrect figures
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8800148/ONS-rapped-for-publishing-wrong-construction-figures.html
Guardian – 1 Jul 2011
MI5 track wrong phone numbers
http://www.theguardian.com/government-computing-network/2011/jul/01/mi5-data-collection-errors
Telegraph – 1 Nov 2010
Bus driver arrested for stealing fares
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8102127/Fare-theft-bus-driver-walks-free-after-employer-admits-miscalculation.html
Guardian – 20 Jun 2007
Votes not initially counted in election
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/jun/20/scotland.devolution