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Public servant in Cidrolândia for over 27 years received R$203,636.97 by mistake and decided to return the amount without moving the money
The routine of Telma, a street sweeper in Cidrolândia, in the interior of Mato Grosso do Sul, changed for a few moments after a series of messages started arriving on her cell phone. The reason seemed unbelievable: a wrong Pix of R$ 203,636.97 had landed in her account.
Before the transfer, according to the public servant herself, there was only R$ 140 available. The amount, therefore, turned the surprise into astonishment at home and quickly became a topic among family members.
The money, however, did not stay with Telma. Even in the face of financial difficulties, she decided to return everything to the Federation of the Lasso Club of Mato Grosso do Sul, responsible for the transfer made by mistake.
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Wrong Pix landed in street sweeper’s account and startled the family in Cidrolândia
The incident happened in Cidrolândia, a municipality in Mato Grosso do Sul with about 50,000 inhabitants. Telma has worked as a street sweeper for over 27 years, is a mother of five children, a grandmother, and raised her family on the sweeping salary.
That late afternoon, she was talking to her husband when she left her cell phone in the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Shortly after, the device started receiving several messages.
Upon checking the content, Telma saw the notice that a Pix had been mistakenly sent to her key. Since her key was the cell phone number, the employee was able to locate her quickly.
Amount seemed like a joke at first
Initially, Telma imagined that the transfer was small. She thought the deposit could be R$ 200 or R$ 500.
Soon after, her daughter-in-law checked the account and realized the amount was much larger. First, she mentioned R$ 20,000. Then, she confirmed that the amount exceeded R$ 203,000.
The family’s reaction was a mix of shock, laughter, and jokes. Relatives even said that Telma had become rich and that the money could be divided among everyone.
Money came from federation after error in Pix key digit
The transfer, according to the report, came from the Federation of the Mato Grosso do Sul Lasso Club, located in Campo Grande.
The error allegedly occurred due to an incorrectly informed digit. Thus, the amount that should have gone to another account ended up being sent to Telma’s Pix key.
After being contacted, the street cleaner decided to check the account carefully. She then arranged the return directly with the federation’s employee.
Return was made in less than 24 hours
Despite the surprise, Telma stated that she did not think about keeping the money. According to her, even with financial ups and downs, she would never keep an amount that did not belong to her.
The amount was returned in less than 24 hours. Before that, her children even warned her about the risk of the situation causing problems, including fear of fraud or improper involvement.
The action drew attention precisely because of the simplicity of the decision. Telma received a large amount, confirmed the origin of the deposit, and returned the money.
Receiving Pix by mistake requires caution before any transaction
Cases of wrong Pix require attention. The guidance mentioned in the report is not to manually transfer the amount to another account without security.
The most recommended way is to use the Pix return option available in the banking app. Thus, the money returns through the system itself, reducing risks for those who received the amount by mistake.
In case of doubt, it is also recommended to contact the manager or the bank’s official support before making any transaction.
Keeping money received by mistake can lead to punishment
Besides being cautious against scams, there is also a legal risk. Those who receive an amount by mistake and decide not to return it may be liable for appropriation of something obtained by mistake.
Therefore, the correct return protects both the sender and the receiver. In Telma’s case, the stance prevented the surprise from turning into a bigger problem.
Telma’s story went viral for showing honesty in a rare situation
The repercussion of the case was not just due to the high amount. What caught attention was the reaction of the street cleaner in the face of an amount that, according to her, would take about 10 years of work to save without spending anything.
Even so, Telma preferred to remain calm. She said she is proud of her profession, the house she achieved through effort, and the path she built with work.
In the end, the account returned to being more modest. However, the story left a direct lesson: a wrong Pix can be alarming, but honesty, caution, and returning it the right way prevent problems and preserve dignity.
