Money mule: someone wants to move money through your account. What to do
"Money will land in your account. Send it on or take it out in cash, and keep a few per cent." It sounds like easy work, but the money has been stolen from other people. Whoever passes it on is what police call a money mule, and they can face prosecution even if they didn't know it was a scam. Here is how to spot the approach and what to do if money has already gone through your account.
Key points
- If you receive other people's money into your account and send it on or withdraw it for someone else, you're helping criminals hide where it came from. That's money laundering, and in the UK it carries up to 14 years in prison.
- Warning signs: a cut for "just transferring money", an offer from a stranger in a chat or on social media, and instructions to withdraw cash, buy gift cards or send cryptocurrency.
- Money already went through your account? Stop, don't send anything else, call your bank now and report it to the police (in the US also to the FTC).
How people get recruited
Money mules are people who, as the US Department of Justice puts it, "at someone else's direction, receive and move money obtained from victims of fraud". Some know exactly what they're doing. Many don't – but the DOJ is clear that even unknowing mules keep the fraud going. Europol says more than 90% of mule transactions identified in its European Money Mule Actions are linked to cybercrime: phishing, malware, online shopping fraud, business email compromise, romance scams and holiday booking fraud.
The approach usually looks like one of these:
- A job. An online ad or social media post for a "financial assistant" or "payment processing agent" with vague duties. The work is receiving payments and sending them on, withdrawing cash, or opening new bank accounts. The DOJ says to look very closely at any job that requires opening accounts or receiving money or parcels.
- Quick cash. Don't Be Fooled warns about offers of easy money, often through social media, sometimes with gifts on top. The offer can also come in person.
- A prize. You're told you've won a sweepstakes or lottery, then asked to receive money and pass part of it on.
- An online relationship. Someone you've only met online has a sad story – a blocked account, assets frozen abroad – and asks you to receive money for them and send it on, often as cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
- A friend's favour. "My account's blocked, can I send it to yours and you take it out?"
Young people are a major target. Santander UK's figures from September 2022 to August 2023 show that 55% of the mule accounts it found belonged to people aged 30 or under, and 21% to under-20s – more than everyone aged 50 and over combined.
How to tell they want you as a mule
| What happens | What it means |
|---|---|
| You're offered a percentage of the money paid into your account | Classic mule recruitment. |
| You're told to withdraw the money in cash and hand it to someone | Cash breaks the trail – that's why they want it. |
| You're told to buy gift cards or send cryptocurrency | The DOJ lists both as typical mule requests. |
| You're asked to open a new bank or crypto account "for the job" | The DOJ singles out jobs that require opening accounts. |
| You're asked whether bank cards can be issued in your name | A warning sign listed by Don't Be Fooled. |
| You're asked for your online banking login, PIN or passcodes | They'd control the account, but you'd be responsible. |
| Their account is "blocked" and they need to borrow yours | A typical romance-scam and "friend" story. |
| They tell you what to say if your bank asks about a payment | Your bank is protecting you. Anyone coaching you to get around it is a criminal. |
What to do right now
You haven't received or sent anything yet: say no, block the contact and report the account to the platform. Don't send your bank details, a photo of your ID or any login details. You can check a link from the offer without opening it using our Suspicious Link Checker.
Money already went through my account. What now?
The DOJ's advice for anyone who thinks they've become a money mule comes down to these steps:
- Stop. Stop talking to the person giving you instructions. Don't send, withdraw or convert anything else – even if they push or threaten you. Leave any money still in your account where it is.
- Call your bank now, using the number on your card or its official website. Explain that you received money of unknown origin and who told you to move it. Your bank can see where the payments came from.
- Report it to the police (see below). It's far better to come forward yourself than to wait to be contacted.
- Consider changing accounts, especially if you shared your details with the person. Ask your bank how to do it.
- Keep the evidence: screenshots of the chats, the job ad, the account numbers you sent money to, statements, ATM and gift card receipts, crypto transaction IDs.
- Gave someone your online banking login or installed an app they told you to? Ask your bank to block online access, change your passwords from a different device and follow Entered your details on a phishing site.
- Sent a photo of your ID or your Social Security number? Mention it in your police report. In the US, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov.
Report it
- US: report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your local police. If an older adult is involved, the DOJ points to the Elder Fraud Hotline.
- UK: tell your bank first, then report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland); in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
- The platform: report the account and the job ad to the site or app where you saw them.
- Elsewhere: contact your bank first, then your local police.
What you could face
- Criminal charges. In the UK, money laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 carry up to 14 years in prison, a fine, or both. In the US, the DOJ says moving money for illegal activity can lead to criminal charges, and law enforcement may also take civil action.
- Losing your bank account. HSBC and Santander both say mule accounts are blocked or closed, and that it then becomes hard to open a new one.
- Debts. Santander says you may have to repay money received into the account; HSBC warns you could be left with debts.
- Credit and future plans. Both banks mention problems getting loans, mortgages or even phone contracts. HSBC adds possible dismissal from university and difficulty finding work.
Protect yourself next time
- Never let anyone move money through your account, and never share your online banking login. Anyone who wants to pay you only needs your account details.
- A job whose main task is "receive and send on" isn't a job. Check that the company exists and that you have a proper contract.
- Never agree to move money for someone you've never met in person – however moving their story is.
- Talk to teenagers, students and anyone new to the country about this. They're who recruiters go after.
The same recruiters also hide behind task scams that pay you to like videos and behind investment scams.
FAQ
Can I get into trouble if I didn't know the money was stolen?
Yes, you can. The US Department of Justice says law enforcement responds to money mule activity with anything from letters and interviews to civil actions and prosecutions, depending on the facts. In the UK, money laundering carries up to 14 years in prison, and banks typically close mule accounts. Coming forward early is far better than waiting for the police or your bank to contact you.
Someone wants to send me money. Do they need my online banking login?
No. Anyone who genuinely wants to pay you only needs your account details. Never share your login, PIN, passwords or one-time passcodes. Don't Be Fooled says never to share them with anyone you don't know and trust.
Money from a stranger arrived in my account and they want me to send it back or elsewhere. What should I do?
Don't send it anywhere and don't withdraw it. Call your bank. It knows where the payment came from and can return it the right way. The Department of Justice advises not to send any money you still hold to the person who has been giving you directions.
A friend or someone I met online says their account is blocked and asks to use mine. Is it a scam?
Almost certainly. Santander warns specifically about a "friend" asking you to send money on or hand over cash because their own account is blocked. The DOJ adds: never agree to move money for someone you've never met in person.
Sources
- US Department of Justice – Money Mule Initiative (updated 21 Oct 2024)
- Don't Be Fooled (UK Finance and Cifas) – Money muling
- legislation.gov.uk – Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, section 334 (penalties)
- HSBC UK – What is a money mule?
- Santander UK – Money laundering warning with over half of money mule accounts held by under 30s (26 Oct 2023)
- Europol – Money muling
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