Money muling is a money laundering technique used by perpetrators of various types of offences, such as phishing or other scams, to get hold of the proceeds of their crime, i.e. the money generated by their criminal activities.
To do this, they use so-called "money mules". These money mules receive money from a bank account that is not their own and transfer it to another account or withdraw it in cash and give it to another person in exchange for a commission.
These are often young people or people in precarious financial situations who are recruited through social media (e.g. Snapchat) and messaging platforms.
It is important to remember that it is a punishable offence to make your account and/or bank card available to third parties.
In addition to the freezing of bank accounts and the seizure of funds, those prosecuted for money laundering risk a prison sentence of between one and five years and/or a fine of between EUR 1,250 and EUR 1,250,000 under Article 506-1 of the Penal Code, as well as compulsory confiscation under Article 31 of the Penal Code. If the assets cannot be traced, confiscation may be applied to other assets belonging to the convicted person up to the value of the assets that passed through the account.
As the perpetrators of money mules can be very efficient at recruiting, it is not easy to detect such attempts. However, there are a number of tips you can follow:
- Beware of lucrative offers to make money quickly and easily;
- Never make your account available to third parties;
- Never give your bank details to anyone you don't know;
- Never withdraw or transfer funds whose origin you do not know;
- Never transfer money to an account you do not know at the request of a third party.
If you suspect that you are being used as a money mule, stop all transactions and contact the police immediately.
