A 21-year-old woman who was apprehended at Sydney Airport trying to flee the country allegedly spent millions on handbags and luxury goods after $4.6 million was mistakenly transferred into her bank account four years ago.
Christine Jiaxin Lee was mistakenly transferred the money into her Westpac bank account as an overdraft four years ago when she was just 17, Daily Mail reports.
The chemical engineering student, who was attempting to flee to Malaysia when she was picked up by Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, still allegedly owes $3.3 million to her bank.
She allegedly purchased ‘luxury items’ while taking advantage of the mistakenly extended overdraft.
Court documents revealed she is alleged to have committed the offences on multiple occasions between July 2014 and March 2015. It is alleged she failed to notify the bank that she was not entitled to the money.
The court heard she knew police were attempting to make contact with her and she obtained an emergency Malaysian passport in order to leave the country.
The woman, who has lived in Australia for five years, lives with her boyfriend at Rhodes in Sydney’s north-west.
