Mr. Krab’s obsession with money has gone to a new level.

No, it's not the red cartoon version seen on the televsion show Sponge Bob Squarepants, but an actual crustacean that was seen crawling into ANZ Bank Bayfair this week, shocking customers and staff.

Whether he was trying to check his account balance or rob the bank, everyone was surprised to see the crab enter through the two sliding doors into the store.

ANZ Bank Bayfair senior personal banker Amy Lockett says she and her colleagues were shocked and wondered where the crab had come from.

The bank is located in the Bayfair Shopping Centre on Girven Road, about 1.4km from the nearest beach.

“It’s crossed the hills, the mountains, the road, who knows? And it turned up to Bayfair without being stood on or run over.”

After asking around, Amy says someone had seen this crab at the base of the ANZ ATM before making its way in to visit the team – was this crab after some cash? Who knows?

Amy says she thought she was seeing things.

“How this crab made its way from the beach, up the dunes, across some very busy roads and maybe a roundabout or two and to the mall has us stumped!”

If it managed to get through the new Bayfair roundabout with the addition of traffic lights, the mighty crab is doing better than the rest of us.

“It’s quite random,” she says.

“For it to get all that way and not get trodden on or run over is remarkable.”

ANZ Bank Bayfair staff took the crab back to the beach. Photos supplied.

After gently capturing it and a cautious car ride, the crab was put back to the beach where he quickly headed for the waves.

“It wasn’t small, it’s not a tiny little crab.

“We took it back to the beach and it went running back into the water.”