12-Year-Old's Life Savings Is Lost Then Found

Max Becker stashed all the money he had in an old computer and then his mom recycled it

Twelve-year-old Max Becker has been reunited with his life savings -- money that his mom accidentally threw away with a recycled computer.

"I was so upset ... because it's like all my money," Max said.

Max had just returned from Boy Scout camp when he noticed the central-processing unit of his old computer was gone. Inside, he had stashed a coffee cup and wallet containing more than $300 and some gift cards.

"I was hiding it from my sister, Drew, ... I can't exactly trust her," Max said.

Max's mother, Dorothy Ferrante, started making phone calls and discovered it had been taken to the Sims recycling plant in Edison, N.J.

"I felt terrible. How would we ever get it back?" said Ferrante.

She made some phone calls and ended up pleading for help from the computer recycling plant. They were determined to help a Boy Scout find his money, but they had to dig through about 700 different computers.

It took four days but they found it.

On Wednesday afternoon, Max got his cash back and a tour of the plant.

"Thank you," Max said. "Thank you so much."

NBC 4 New York asked his twin sister, Drew, what she thought and whether she was even a little happy for her brother.

"Is there a shopping trip for me in it?" Drew asked.

"Not a chance," her brother said.

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