One Day, 610 Million Won Appeared in Her Account... The Fate of a Woman Who Spent It as a 'Gift from God'

Spent 610 Million Won Without Checking the Source, Made 66 Payments
Provincial Government's Transfer Error... Woman Claims "No Malicious Intent"

A case in Argentina involving a resident who spent a large sum of money mistakenly transferred by a provincial government has sparked controversy.

On May 24 (local time), Argentine media outlet Clarin reported the story of a woman named Veronica Acosta.

Acosta checked her bank account to confirm a child support deposit of 8,000 pesos (approximately 9,500 KRW), but discovered that a massive sum of 510 million pesos (about 610 million KRW) had been deposited instead.

However, she spent the money on necessary items without verifying its source.

Local media reported that Acosta's spending ranged from groceries to a refrigerator, air fryer, microwave, television, flooring materials, and toilet parts. She even paid for a used car.

The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pixabay

According to reports, the amount was deposited due to an error by an accountant from the government of San Luis Province, Argentina. The provincial government identified the administrative mistake the day after the erroneous transfer, on May 7, and froze Acosta's account within a day, recovering nearly 90% of the funds. The remaining 10% is still being traced.

Additionally, the police have initiated criminal proceedings against Acosta and four others who received transfers. An analysis of the account's transaction records showed that Acosta made 66 transfers within 24 hours. The police believe this was an attempt to keep each transfer below the 500,000 peso (about 600,000 KRW) threshold, which does not require income verification by the national tax agency.

However, in a local television interview, Acosta expressed her frustration. She claimed, "I was in a situation where I desperately needed money, so I thought it was a 'gift from God.' I did not spend the money with malicious intent."

She added, "I did not know it was provincial government money, and no one informed me about the owner of the funds until I became the subject of a police investigation."

Acosta's lawyer also stated, "We received no official notification about the provincial government's mistake," and added, "When I saw the news, the police had already arrived at the house."

As a result, online communities are filled with criticism of Acosta for recklessly spending money of unknown origin. However, there is also public sentiment condemning the provincial government for shifting responsibility for their mistake onto an ordinary resident.