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Topics: News, World News
Lucy Devine
A woman who was accidentally sent millions of dollars by a cryptocurrency trader bought a huge luxury mansion with the money.
Thevamanogari Manivel, 40, was mistakenly transferred millions of dollars by a crypto trader in 2021.
After spending the money on a new home, Manivel bizarrely claimed she thought her partner had won the money in a competition.
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Although she was expecting to receive a AU$100 (US $65m) rebate, Manivel, from Australia, ended up with a whopping AU$10m ($6.5m) after a mistake was made by a member of staff at digital currency exchange, Crypto.com.
It's reported that the staff member accidentally entered an account number where they were supposed to enter the rebate figure.
By the time the company realised, it had been several months and Manivel had already spent huge chunks of the money, as well as transferring over AU$4m ($2.5m) to accounts in Malaysia.
She purchased a five-bedroom property in Craigieburn for her sister, and sent funds to six other people, including her daughter.
Manviel was arrested after attempting to flee Australia with AU$11,750 ($7,500) in cash.
But Manivel later claimed that she thought her partner had won the money in a competition.
Her barrister, Jessica Willard, revealed that Jatinder Singh had told police he had won the money.
Ms Willard said: "The issue in relation to Ms Manivel is the dishonesty element, whether she knew the money was stolen or not."
However, representatives from the Commonwealth Bank say both Manivel and Singh had been told it was a mistake.
Last year, Manivel was sentenced after pleading guilty to recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
She received an 18-month community corrections order, as well as six months community work.
Judge Martine Marich said no sinister intent was proven until the point that the Commonwealth Bank informed her of the mistake.
“At this point though your behaviour turns cynical and was motivated by self interest,” Marich said.
“It represented a shortcut to the financial goal that you had previously endeavoured to pursue through your sheer hard work.”
She added: “The quantum of your offending is grave, i.e. $4 million, which was dispersed after you had been warned that you had come into possession of the victim’s property via their unfortunate mistake.
“Most of the $10 million that was deposited mistakenly in your account, I understand, has been recovered.
“I find that your offending was opportunistic precipitated by the most extraordinary of circumstances, that is the unexpected windfall of the $10 million deposited into your account.”