Thevamanogari Manivel, a 41-year old Malaysian national living in Melbourne, has pleaded guilty for recklessly dealing in proceeds of crime. In May 2021, currency giant Crypto.com accidentally deposited $10.5 million into her account instead of a refund of $100. Manivel and her partner then spent a lot of money on luxury items and houses, including furniture, art and a car for her third child. She also paid off a friend’s mortgage.

When the mistake was only discovered two days before Christmas by Crypto.com, they attempted to recoup the money. Manivel told the court that her boyfriend convinced her it was a Crypto.com prize. She later told police that two messages from Commonwealth Bank were fraud calls.

The prosecutor Bruce Nibbs informed the court that Manivel transferred $2 million to her account in Malaysia with HSBC Bank, and then transferred another $2 million in January. She was arrested two weeks later at the Melbourne Airport trying to escape Malaysia with $11,750.

The crypto company has since settled for more than $8,000,000 and returned the money. Manivel’s barrister, Jessica Willard, stated that her client has no criminal record. However, her former partner and co-accused Jatinder Singh will face other charges and has pleaded not guilty. Manivel’s sentence will be handed down in September.

M.H. Carnegie & Co Founding Partner Mark Carnegie spoke of the popularity and proliferation of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, saying “coming whether you like it or not”. Millions of dollars are accidentally transferred into your account and no one seems to notice – so do you return the money or are you ready to dive into your new lifestyle?