Money Mules

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

People often become money mules unwittingly. They might think they’re giving out their bank details for a genuine reason, then end up involved in money mule fraud, the proceeds of which fund an international trade in drugs, people trafficking and terrorism.

These is growing evidence these criminals are targeting students, especially international students.

Criminals may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it into another account, keeping some of the cash for yourself. If you let this happen, you’re a money mule. You’re involved in money laundering, which is a crime and carries a number of consequences. These include freezing of bank accounts, difficulty in opening new accounts in the future (affecting graduates’ ability to get a job, to arrange a mortgage, to secure insurance etc.) and, in the worst cases, a prison sentence.

Are you at risk of becoming a money mule? Watch this short animation to find out more.