Are You A Money Mule?

A money mule is someone who is used by criminals to transfer cash between bank accounts, on their behalf, making it harder for police to trace the money.

A school boy with a debit card in hand, looking at his phone as if he is entering sensitive payment information into it.

don't be used.

Victims don’t only lose their money.

Being a Money Mule can affect your ability to get a bank account in the future, and your credit rating which will affect your career and future aspirations.

Take the money mule quiz

One of the biggest enablers of fraud are MONEY MULES.

This is where you let someone else use your bank account to send criminal money.

Why should you help stop money mule recruiters?

Criminals sometimes use lots of bank accounts to make it harder for the police to track them down.

But if the accounts are in their name then they risk getting caught. That is why they pay other people to transfer their money instead. These people are called Money Mules.

Around 6 in every 10 Money Mules are aged under 30. They can be recruited online or in person. By using Money Mules the criminals are trying to evade the law and ensure the person who is caught and punished are the people they exploit rather than them.

This is financial exploitation.

Take the money mule quiz

A screenshot from the video showing a boy in a dark room looking somber.

Mules usually get recruited because they get a cut of the stolen money.

This means they are involved in money laundering.

This is a serious criminal offence, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for the worst offenders.

Take the money mule quiz

What should you do?

1. Ask a friend or an adult you trust first

If someone wants to ‘borrow’ your bank account or transfer money using it, offering you easy money if you help them, then just say NO and tell someone you trust like a teacher or report it to the police.

2. BOOST YOUR ONLINE SECURITY

Make it harder for criminals to steal your identity and open bank accounts in your name by doing a few simple things recommended by the National Cyber Security Centre.

3. Report it if you’re a victim of fraud

Report all incidents of fraud to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, via their website or contact 0300 123 2040. If you are in Scotland, please report to Police Scotland directly by calling 101.

In an emergency call 999.

4. REPORT MULE RECRUITERS

If you think you know someone is recruiting mules, you can protect victims by reporting them. Call local police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

If you prefer not to give your details to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111.

If it’s online content, click the button to report it to the social media companies to get it taken down. Social media companies also want to get criminals off of their platforms.