Courts / Dublin / Report

Tinder match put stolen €10k in Malawian woman's account

Summary

Chrissy Mwandira, a 23-year-old Malawian national, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct. She pleaded guilty to possessing €10,000 in stolen funds deposited into her account on September 18, 2018. Prosecution evidence indicated that emails regarding a payment from the Peninsula Group to the Herbert Group were hacked, allowing false bank details to be substituted. Mwandira stated she had met an individual on the dating app Tinder, whom she believed was a romantic contact assisting her with school fees. She provided her bank details to this person and was shocked when the funds appeared. The judge noted there was no suggestion Mwandira was linked to the hacking or had offered her account for the offence. Judge Melanie Greally described the case as one of negligence rather than intent, characterizing Mwandira as a diligent, hard-working person who was taken in and cast aside. Mwandira, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. However, the sentence was suspended in full on strict conditions. The court also ordered that €500 in compensation, raised by the defendant, be handed over to the injured party.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Tinder match put stolen €10k in Malawian woman's account. Charges or matters: possession of the proceeds of criminal conduct at an unknown location in the state on September 18, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 18, 2018 Incident
• 2020-11-26 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report