Matt Damon crypto firm accidentally sent woman $10m - now wants it back

Crypto.com, the cryptocurrency company that hired Matt Damon as a frontman for its Super Bowl commercial last year, accidentally sent $10m to an Australian woman - and now they want it back.

According to News.com.au, the woman used the money to purchase a mansion for her sister in Melbourne, according to a report.

Crypto.com initially intended to send a $100 refund to Thevamanogari Manivel in May 2021.

However, the outlet reported that the firm “erroneously transferred” $10,474,143 to Manivel, who divided the money among six other people, including her daughter and her sister.

While in a routine audit seven months later, the company realised the error they had made, and they went to court to try and get the money back.

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“Extraordinarily, the Plaintiffs allegedly did not realize this significant error until some seven months later, in late December 2021,” James Elliot, the Victorian Supreme Court judge, wrote in a court ruling.

Crypto.com did sue Manivel and the six others who obtained the funds.

Last Friday (26 August), the company was victorious in a court ruling that ordered the defendants to repay every single dime and to cover the legal expenses incurred. This also included a 10 per cent interest, valuing $27,369.64.

Manivel had used some of the money to buy a four-bedroom, four-bathroom house valued at $1.35m in Melbourne as a gift to her sister, Thilagavathy Gangadory, the court papers said.

Crypto.com filed the court papers in February and managed to freeze Manivel’s account.

Still, a majority of the money had been dispersed to Gangadory and the five others named in the legal filing.

Since Gangadory’s name was listed as a registered owner of the home, Crypto.com asked the courts to freeze her bank accounts.

A judge had also ordered that the home be sold, and the proceeds received would be reimbursed to Crytpo.com.

Gangadory had no choice but to sell the house while also being required to pay interest on the money taken.

Crypto.com hasn’t been able to reach Manivel and the others involved about the remaining funds.

Indy100 reached out to Crypto.com for comment.

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