Student given $3 million dollars in bank account by mistake goes on incredible shopping spree

It sounds like a scenario that's too good to be true.

Millions of dollars deposited in your bank account without you having to lift a finger or break a sweat working.

So beautiful a thought it could bring a tear to your eye, right?

And of course, if such a miraculous event should ever happen to you, you might feel tempted to splash a bit of cash.

But be warned - such spending won't come without a price.

A woman was once charged with fraud after she went on a shopping spree with $3 million ($4.6m AUD/£2.4m) a bank had given her by mistake.

Getty/Boy_Anupong

In 2016, Christine Jiaxin Lee, 21, was arrested at Sydney Airport and appeared in Waverley Local Court the following day.

She was trying to board a flight to Malaysia using an emergency Malaysian passport, the court heard.

According to the prosecution, $4.6 million AUD ($3m/£2.4m) was accidentally sent to Lee through an overdraft facility, mistakenly attached to a Westpac savings account.

It alleged that $3.3 million AUD had not been recovered and was spent on luxury goods.

In addition to a charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception, she was also charged with knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.

According to Magistrate Lisa Stapleton, this second charge was harder to prove.

Stapleton said: "It's not proceeds of crime, it's money we all dream about."

The court heard how Lee had been living in Australia for the past five years and was due to start the fourth year of her university degree.

A warrant had been put out for her arrest in March that year and her Malaysian passport had been seized.

Lee was granted bail on the condition that she report to the police twice a day.

Facebook

Sydney City Police Detective Inspector Sean Heaney urged members of the public who have found money in their accounts that should not be there not to spend the extra cash.

He said: "Speak to your financial institution, have the matter rectified, if you fall into the temptation of spending other people's money, you may be committing criminal offences.

"And it may be a matter of time before the police come knocking on your door.

"The money doesn't belong to you, you know that, don't go spending it, it's going to cause you some trouble with the police.

"It would be very tempting, a lot of people may succumb to that temptation.

"You should know what's in your account, if you realise there's something that doesn't belong to you, it will be identified, speak to them, do the right thing, get it cleared up as soon as possible."

According to the BBC, Australian prosecutors ended up dropping charges against Lee. Though they did not give a reason why.

So there you have it - crime doesn't pay.

Topics: Australia, Crime, Money

Ben Thompson