A Melbourne woman is facing criminal charges after more than $10 million was mistakenly transferred into her bank account by a cryptocurrency trading platform.
In May 2021, Crypto.com intended to refund Thevamaogari Manivel $100, but the 37-year-old was instead erroneously transferred $10,474,143.
The company did not notice its mistake for seven months, until December 2021.
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Crypto.com commenced legal action against Manivel and others in the Victorian Supreme Court’s commercial division in February this year.
The company was granted a freeze on her Commonwealth Bank account, but by then most of the money had been transferred into other accounts.
About $1.35 million was used to buy a home in Craigieburn, with the ownership of the property transferred to Manivel’s sister, Thilagavathy Gangadory, who lived in Malaysia, the court heard previously.
Manivel faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with two dealing with proceeds of crime offences. She appeared by video link from prison.
Defence lawyer Jessica Willard said Manivel was told she had won the money by one of the co-accused offenders.
She has been charged with dealing with proceeds of crime “namely $10,474,143 AUD mistakenly transferred into her bank account from Crypto.com while being negligent as to whether or not it is proceeds of crime”, court documents reveal.
Manivel has also been charged with dealing with $11,750 cash, suspected to be the proceeds of crime, in Tullamarine on March 17, 2022.
The matter will return to court on October 11.
