A malfunctioning automated bank machine has dispensed $US37,000 ($A40,187) in cash to a man who requested $140.

Police in Maine say they responded to the TD Bank branch on Thursday morning after getting a call from a woman who said a man was spending an unusual amount of time at the ATM she was waiting to use.

Officers found the man stuffing cash into a shopping bag.

The money was returned to the bank.

Bank officials say they don’t want to press charges but police continue to investigate.

The man hasn’t been charged.

A bank official describes the problem as a “code error” and says no customer accounts were affected.