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Money mules

Criminals use money mules to help them move stolen money from one account to another.

They do this in many ways such as reaching out on social media or waiting outside your place of education or work to speak to you. Once they're talking to you they'll use different stories to trick you into moving money for them. They do this to try and hide the money that they've stolen.

Here are some examples of how you might be tricked, which you should watch out for.

  • A 'friend' asking if they can send some money to you and then send it on to someone else or give them cash. (Sometimes they might say their own account is blocked.)
  • Job adverts where you use your own account to receive and send money. (You may be offered some of the money as a commission or thank you.)
  • Being offered money for someone to use your bank account.
  • Being asked to send the value of a cheque that's been given to you to by someone else.

The one thing that's the same is that you're asked to pass on money or give access to your account.

Please be aware that:

  • the money you're asked to transfer is normally stolen or the proceeds of crime
  • handling this money could result in criminal prosecution
  • your accounts could be frozen and potentially closed
  • wages kept by you as part of the transfer will be recovered from your account.
  • you may be liable for the full value of the funds you received
  • details of your involvement may be shared with other banks, making the opening of another bank account difficult.