Are you aged 16 or under?

Find out about money muling, what it is and what can happen if you get involved

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Criminals target young people to trick them into transferring stolen money. This is known as money muling.

What is a Money Mule?

A money mule is someone who receives stolen money into their bank account and transfers it to another account, keeping some of the cash for themselves. They may even offer you gifts.

Being a money mule is illegal.

Criminals want to ‘borrow’ ‘clean’ bank accounts from people and use them to move money. They do this to hide their ‘dirty’ stolen money. This makes it more difficult for the police to trace the money.

This is called ‘money laundering’.

By hiding it, the criminals can then use this money for more crime. These include drug smuggling, terrorism and human trafficking.

There can be very serious consequences to being a money mule.

Consequences if you’re caught

You could be putting yourself and your family at risk

Getting involved with criminals could put you and your family at risk of intimidation and violence if you try to stop working with them.

Your bank account will be closed

Banks use sophisticated computer systems to spot unusual behaviour in bank accounts. If an account starts receiving more money than usual, it might be a sign that it’s being used to move money in a way that’s not allowed.

It will be very difficult to get a phone contract

Being a money mule can negatively affect your credit history, making it hard to get approved for new credit for things like mobile phone contracts.

You will find it difficult to get a student loan for college or university

A damaged credit history can impact your ability to get loans.

You could find it difficult to get a job when you leave school

You may think it is quick and easy money, but you could end up with a criminal record which could in turn impact your chances of getting a job when you leave school.

It is a crime

Being a money mule is against the law and can get you into serious trouble. You are part of a crime, even if it seems harmless and you feel like you’re helping someone.

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