Woman in China returns $310K to stranger after mistaken transfer

A Chinese woman returned 2.26 million yuan ($310,000) to a stranger after the latter accidentally transferred it to her through the mobile payment platform Alipay. The viral incident, news of which has been viewed more than 140 million times on Weibo, occurred in Xuchang, Henan province, on June 29.

What happened: The woman, identified by the surname Wang, recalled to Chinese media how she received multiple calls from an unknown number. When she finally answered, Wang said the person on the other end, Tian, from nearby Hubei province, was distraught. “A woman cried on the phone, telling me that she accidentally transferred 2.26 million yuan to me,” Wang recounted to the media. Despite initially thinking it was a scam, Wang still comforted Tian through the ordeal.
The aftermath: Wang eventually went to the police station with her daughter to report the case. The authorities then called in Tian to question both individuals. After checking Wang’s Alipay account, they confirmed that multiple money transfers had indeed been sent and determined that the amount was Tian’s usual income. Without hesitation, Wang returned all of the money, telling Chinese media, “This is what I am supposed to do.”

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