It’s the ultimate moral quandary played out in real life: $10.5 million is accidentally deposited into your bank account – do you board a plane and live a life of luxury somewhere without an extradition treaty, or give the money back?
Adding to the predicament, the international cryptocurrency firm that put the money in the account didn’t notice the sum missing for six months.
Thevamanogari Manivel outside the County Court on Friday.Credit: Justin McManus
Thevamanogari Manivel, a 41-year-old Malaysian national, had to confront that exact dilemma.
Manivel pleaded guilty on Friday to recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime after currency giant crypto.com mistakenly deposited $10.5 million into her Commonwealth Bank account, instead of a $100 refund.
The County Court heard Manivel had returned more than $8 million and settled with the crypto company, but not before she tried to transfer millions overseas and fly out of Australia with $11,750 cash.
Prosecutor Bruce Nibbs told the court another person opened an account on crypto.com and that $100 was deposited into it from her Manivel’s bank account. Detecting the inconsistency between the name of the account and origin of the funds, crypto.com said it would refund the money to Manivel.
But, when a company staffer went to process the refund on May 11, 2021, instead of putting $100 onto the transfer document they typed the account number, 10474143.
The error meant that instead of the $100 to which Manivel was entitled, $10,474,143 was deposited into her bank account.
Two days later, the payment was discovered by another person and they allegedly told Manivel to immediately transfer funds from her Commonwealth Bank account to a Westpac account, and they began to spend it.
About six months later, in December 2021, an audit by crypto.com revealed the error. The company contacted the Commonwealth Bank, which tracked Manivel down on January 5, 2022 and again on January 13. She later told police she believed both messages were scam calls.
A previous sketch of Thevamanogari Manivel in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.Credit: Nine News
“Immediately following the communication from the Commonwealth Bank, Manivel transferred $2 million to an account in Malaysia with HSBC Bank, in her name,” Nibbs said.
On January 31 last year, she transferred another $2 million to her account in Malaysia. Six weeks later, police arrested her at Melbourne Airport trying to flee to Malaysia with $11,750.
Manivel’s barrister, Jessica Willard, said her client had no criminal history and an otherwise exemplary personal history.
Having moved to Australia she worked labouring jobs on farms and as a supermarket cashier, and intended to have her children join her here.
Manivel also worked in aged and disability care after studying in Australia, and is seeking a science degree in community service.
She will be sentenced in September and previously spent 209 days in pre-sentence detention.
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