Crypto.com accidentally sent $10.5 million to a woman instead of $100, and it took them seven months to realize their mistake. Unsurprisingly, it is now difficult to get the money back.
After an Australian woman by the name of Thevamanogari Manivel in Melbourne asked for a small refund in May of that year, the cryptocurrency exchange platform—which hired Hollywood megastar Matt Damon to front its most recent Super Bowl commercial—found that millions of dollars had gone to her in December 2021.
However, administrative staff members unintentionally placed her account number rather than the amount of the return in the payment section.
This year, Crypto.com filed a lawsuit under the name Foris GFS in Australia and was successful in getting Manivel’s account frozen.
However, the majority of the cash had already been spent or transferred to other accounts.
According to testimony given in court, $1.35 million of the funds were used to purchase a four-bedroom home in Melbourne’s Cragieburn neighborhood, and the ownership of the home was later transferred to the woman’s Malaysian-born sister Thilagavathy Gagadory.
Courts forced to give default judgment
The affected accounts have not been frozen, and attempts by the lawyers for Crypto.com to contact Manivel have likewise been futile.
Manivel’s lawyers claim she is seeking legal counsel in response to an email they received, which they simply acknowledged with the phrase “Received, thanks.”
The Victoria supreme court issued a default ruling in favor of Crypto.com, allowing them to compel the property’s sale as quickly as possible in the absence of a clear answer.
Manivel now also owes interest of $27,369.64.
Crypto.com declined to comment while the case is still in court.