Help Protect young People being targeted by fraudsters

Fraudsters are targeting students to open or allow their bank accounts to be used for criminal activity.

The Fraudsters may ask a student to receive some money into their bank account and transfer it to another account. It is important to know that this money will very likely be from another victim of a fraud.

The Fraudsters may offer a “job” for a student to exchange money for foreign currency, withdraw it at cash machines and pass this over to somebody else or send it onto another party by a bank transfer.

These offers of “jobs” or use of a bank account are most commonly seen on social media such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Once a student has become a money mule, they may be scared or worried about their actions and find it hard to stop. They may not actually receive payment they were promised and may get further and further involved. They may receive threats of violence or the amounts or activity may escalate.

Students who have become money mules and involved in Money Laundering may then suffer the following consequences:

• Bank Account will be closed
• Criminal record which may effect job prospects
• Unable to open other bank accounts
• Unable to get a mobile phone contract due to bad credit
• Unable to get loans or mortgages
• Unable to get store cards like New Look
• Unable to get travel Visas to countries such as USA due to criminal records
• Imprisonment up to 14 years for Money Laundering Offences

Allowing your bank account to be used for moving criminal money impacts on the community in general as this money may be coming from offences of Fraud, Drug supply, Firearms dealing, People smuggling, Terrorism, Human trafficking and may be going to fund the same activity.

Oftentimes, people are not aware that what they are doing is in fact money laundering and that they are becoming a ‘money mule’.

It is therefore vital that we try to get the message out to as many students as we can to warn them that this is the case.

We are asking people to remain vigilant. Please would you pledge to #Tell2 other people who may not have access our community alerts and advise them of this – please don’t assume everyone knows. Help us to protect others.

Did you know you can report crime and incidents using our online portal. Please visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ Click on “REPORT”.
In an emergency dial 999

You can report fraud directly to Action Fraud www.actionfraud.police.uk

Please do not report crime or Incidents via ‘Neighbourhood Link’ as the messages are not always monitored.

Rebecca Spilane
Fraud Vulnerability Officer
Leicestershire Police