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The street cleaner Telma Cristaldo, 56 years old, mistakenly received a Pix of R$ 203,000 in her account, in Sidrolândia (MS). The amount, intended for a sports federation, was deposited due to a wrong number, and the full refund happened in less than 24 hours.
Imagine leaving your phone for a few minutes and returning to find a Pix of R$ 203,000 in your account. This is exactly what happened to the street cleaner Telma Cristaldo, 56 years old, late this Tuesday afternoon (2), in Sidrolândia, about 70 kilometers from Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
The money, which she says she couldn’t save even if she worked for a hundred years with her salary of R$ 2,100, had mistakenly fallen into her account. In less than 24 hours, however, the street cleaner made the full refund of the amount to the rightful recipient, and the action became an example of honesty in the city.
How the Pix of R$ 203,000 fell into the street cleaner’s account
It was around 6 PM when Telma, also known as Teka, was talking to her husband and was surprised by a flood of messages on WhatsApp.
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On the other side was an accountant linked to a lasso club, begging for her help to recover the money transferred by mistake. In one of the messages, he even wrote “for the love of God,” desperate about the missing amount.
Her reaction was disbelief. “I called my daughter to look at the account because I thought it was a joke. I thought he had sent about R$ 500. Then my daughter said it was R$ 203,000. I started to laugh,” she recalled.
Later she understood what had happened: the amount was intended for the Federation of Lasso Clubs of Mato Grosso do Sul, and a single wrong number in the key made the Pix fall into the account of a street cleaner from Sidrolândia.
The decision to return the money
When she discussed the case with family and friends, Telma heard all sorts of opinions. “Some said to return it, others said not to return it.
But I always had a clear conscience and organized myself to return the money that wasn’t mine,” she stated. The refund of the R$ 203,000 was made in full, less than 24 hours after the mistaken transfer.
For her, there was never a doubt. “For someone who earns R$ 2,100 a month, even working for a hundred years I wouldn’t be able to save that money.
At no time did I think of keeping it, because I knew it wasn’t mine and that on the other side there was a desperate person asking for help,” said the street cleaner. The Pix, which could have been a temptation, ended up being treated as what it was: a mistake to be corrected.
The desperation on the other side and the police report
According to information published by the portal Campo Grande News, on the other side of the screen, the emotional damage was significant. According to Telma, the accountant responsible for the transfer felt unwell and had to be taken to the hospital after realizing the mistake. “He was very shaken because of the error.
It was a mistake, but these things happen. Thank God it landed in my account and I was able to return it to him,” she commented, relieved to have helped resolve the situation.
Even after making the return, the street cleaner decided to take precautions and went to a police station to find out if she needed to file a police report or take any action.
She was informed that there was no need, as the Pix money had been returned to the rightful recipient. With the case resolved, the episode in Sidrolândia became a story to tell.
From street cleaner to example of honesty in Sidrolândia
A street cleaner for 27 years, Telma says she had never seen so much money at once in her account. After being filmed sweeping a square, the case went viral on social media and she began to be publicly praised in Sidrolândia.
“My children were proud of me for returning it,” she reported, leaving a simple message: if money that isn’t yours lands in your account, return it.
Here’s a useful piece of information, not intended as legal advice: when someone receives a Pix by mistake, the correct course of action is not to use the amount and to contact the bank for the return.
In the case of the street cleaner, the choice to return the R$ 203,000 not only avoided any headaches but turned a scare into a lesson in character.
Receiving R$ 203,000 by mistake and returning it all in less than a day is the kind of action that restores faith in people.
Tell us in the comments if you would have the same reaction as the street cleaner from Sidrolândia or if the temptation to keep the Pix would speak louder.
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