Man Accidentally Given $355K by Government, Gambles It All Away

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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A man who was accidentally given 46.3 million yen ($355,000) by Japanese government officials is now unable to return it after having spent it all gambling.

The 24-year-old man was mistakenly wired the important sum by officials in the town of Abu, in the Yamaguchi prefecture, on April 8.

The money was a state allowance which should have alleviated the financial struggles of those hit by COVID restrictions during the pandemic.

The town was expected to deliver 100,000 yen ($770) each to 463 low-income households.

gambling
A 24-year-old received $355,000 by mistake. He spent it all on gambling. Getty Images

But it's unlikely the town will be able to retrieve the money. The lawyer for the 24-year-old who accidentally received the sum said the man spent it all on international online casinos, and he's unable to pay it back.

"I don't currently have the money and I don't have anything with property value at hand. It's actually difficult to return it," the lawyer representing the man was quoted as saying by The Asahi Shimbun, according to the BBC.

"I've already moved the money. It can't be returned," the man was quoted as saying by the BBC. "It cannot be undone any more. I will not run. I will pay for my crime."

But the town officials want proof that the man actually gambled all the money away. Abu Mayor Hanada Norihiko said he will not give up trying to recover the money and will seek to verify whether it was really all spent on online casinos.

An investigation mentioned by local media and cited by the BBC found that the man withdrew 600,000 yen ($4,600) every day for about two weeks since the money was transferred into his bank account.

Local media reported that the man has handed his phone in to authorities, which he had allegedly used to gamble all the money away.

The man's lawyer said that his client has made himself available to cooperate with authorities, but town officials report that they have not been able to reach him in weeks.

The man has apparently disappeared since May 12, the day the town filed a lawsuit against him for 51 million yen ($394,000).

The town mayor has apologized to residents for the mistake made by wiring the money to the man, saying he was "deeply sorry" and that his office "will do our utmost to take back the large amount of public money."

The 463 low-income households meant to receive the COVID fund were not left without support. The town sent them another wave of $770 payments, covering up for the missing sum.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more