Multiple reports on Reddit indicate that some creditors of the defunct cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox have allegedly received settlement funds twice, leading to an acknowledgement of error from the exchange via email. A Reddit user named u/rlycreativename shared an email purportedly received from the Mt. Gox Rehabilitation Trustees, stating that funds were mistakenly transferred twice due to a system issue. The email further indicated that the recipients were not entitled to the second transfer and were legally obligated to return the surplus amount promptly.
Several other Reddit users echoed similar experiences of either receiving duplicate payments or corresponding emails from Mt. Gox. User u/lukhaz posted about receiving a refund request for a duplicate transfer from the exchange. Another user, u/CaptainValor, humorously mentioned receiving double payment, considering it a potential belated Christmas gift.
Meanwhile, user u/PPvotersPostingLs claimed to have returned the excessive funds, highlighting the nature of mistakes and urging leniency. However, some users expressed reluctance, believing the return process would be challenging for creditors. User u/JALEW stated they would consider returning the funds only after the completion of the know-your-customer (KYC) process and after a waiting period of ten years imposed by the Mt. Gox Trust.
Although some Reddit users joked about keeping the extra funds, there are potential legal risks associated with such actions. In a separate incident in 2022, a person was arrested for failing to return mistakenly sent funds via Crypto.com. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for those considering not returning overpaid funds.
The Mt. Gox exchange was infamously hacked, resulting in the loss of over 740,000 Bitcoins, initially valued at about $460 million. However, due to the surge in Bitcoin's value, the losses surpassed $31 billion. Following the breach, Mt. Gox declared bankruptcy, and creditors waited nearly a decade before securing a court settlement and receiving payments. Recently, creditors started reporting the receipt of settlement payments through PayPal starting from December 26.
