A Melbourne couple is facing legal trouble as they mistakenly received a substantial windfall of 10.5 million Australian dollars in 2021, spent the money, and are now dealing with the consequences. The situation began when Thevamanogari Manivel attempted to transfer funds to her partner, Jatinder Singh’s Crypto.com account. Instead of sending the intended 100 Australian dollars, the exchange inexplicably transferred 10.5 million Australian dollars to their bank account. The error was discovered in December 2021 during an audit by the exchange.
The exchange filed a lawsuit in the Victoria Supreme Court to recover the funds, but by that time, the couple had already spent the money on multiple properties, vehicles, and other items. Some of the money was also transferred to a Malaysian bank account. One of their properties was ordered by the court to be sold to facilitate the return of the funds.
In October 2022, the couple claimed in court that they believed they had won a prize from the crypto exchange, with Singh mentioning a prior notification about a competition. However, the exchange’s compliance officer denied the existence of such a competition.
In September 2023, Manivel pleaded guilty to recklessly dealing with the proceeds of the crime and received a sentence that includes an 18-month community corrections order, six months of rigorous compliance, and unpaid community work. Singh is scheduled to undergo a plea trial in October 2023, and their fate remains uncertain as they face the consequences of their unintended windfall and subsequent spending.
