FOOL’S GOLD

Couple Accidentally Sent $7M Thought They’d Won a Contest, Court Told

They’re now facing multiple charges after blowing the cash on four houses, art, and vehicles.

A couple accused of theft after receiving a botched $7 million cryptocurrency refund claim they thought they’d won the cash in a competition, a court in Australia heard. Thevamanogari Manivel and her partner, Jatinder Singh, are accused of theft and other charges after they splurged the cash that was inadvertently wired to them by Crypto.com in May 2021. The site had intended to refund Manivel around $63 but instead sent her the millions due to human error, the court was told. Singh allegedly thought the money was a cash prize after the Crypto.com app sent a notification advertising a competition—but a compliance officer for the company says no such competition or notification ever took place. The pair allegedly used the money to buy four houses, vehicles, art, furniture, and gifts. Most of the money has since been returned but around $2 million remains outstanding. Manivel pleaded not guilty to three charges after being arrested at Melbourne airport in March while allegedly trying to fly to Malaysia on a one-way ticket paid for with $7,000 in cash.