Accidental Crypto Millionaires Heading to Trial in Australia

An Australian woman who accidentally became a millionaire after receiving $10.5 million from a crypto company by mistake has been released on bail, according to a report by The Newcastle Herald.

Thevamanogari Manivel and Jatinder Singh, her partner, are now to stand trial after being accused of theft and other wrongdoings. They pleaded not guilty to all the charges they are facing.

Manivel received $10.47 million from Foris GFS back in May 2021 by mistake. She was supposed to receive a $100 refund. The mistake was left unnoticed by the company for months, and it was eventually discovered last December during an audit.

A Bulgarian worker minted new cryptocurrency millionaires by simply making a mistake in an Excel spreadsheet. The crypto account was registered in Singh’s name, but the money was sent to Manivel’s bank account.

The couple insists that they were transferred $10 million after winning a competition, but the company’s representatives claim that was not the case.

Manivel and Singh reportedly transferred nearly half of the sum to a bank account in Malaysia. The rest of the sum was spent on real estate as well as vehicles and gifts.

In February, the company took the Australian couple to court. The woman had to sell her house, and her bank accounts ended up being frozen. However, roughly $3 million of the sum remains in limbo, and the plaintiff is now attempting to get the sum back.

Manivel has been prohibited from attending any points of departure, which is one of the conditions of her bail.

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