Days before the new year, Dhaima Brookes, a legal secretary, stumbled upon $1 million in an ATM in the Portmore Mall, St Catherine, last week Sunday.

Undeterred by any possible temptation to walk away with the stash, Brookes displayed an act of goodwill, and handed the money over to the authorities.

Brookes was subsequently cursed by persons at the mall who witnessed the discovery after she found the 10 stacks of $1,000 bills neatly packaged in a white plastic bag.

Speaking with The Gleaner after making her statement to the Waterford police in Portmore, she recounted how she attempted to draw cash from one of the two ATMs at the plaza. The other machine was being serviced by two Guardsman armoured security personnel.

"My card wasn't working, so I let someone go ahead of me when I noticed a white bag was on the floor in the other ATM," she said.

A few days after returning the million dollars, Brookes was showered with gifts and praises.

Guardsman, in acknowledgement of her goodwill, gave her an undisclosed sum of money.

Telecommunications giant, LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile and Entertainment) also presented the now nationally known woman with a phone and $10,000 worth of call credit.