Money Mule Recruitment Scam

Money mule recruitment scams advertise what looks like an ordinary remote job, such as a "payment processing agent" or "finance assistant," that in reality asks the recruit to receive money into their personal bank account and then forward it to another account or convert it to cryptocurrency or gift cards, keeping a small commission. The funds being moved are typically proceeds of other frauds, such as romance scams, business email compromise, or authorized push payment fraud, and the recruit's account is being used to break the trail between the victim and the criminal organization.

Many recruits do not realize they are handling stolen money, believing they have taken a legitimate job; others suspect something is wrong but are drawn in by the commission and reassurances that "everyone does this." Once a bank or law enforcement investigation identifies the account as part of a fraud chain, the account holder, not just the original scammer, can face frozen accounts, banking access restrictions that last for years, and in some cases criminal charges for money laundering, even when they did not personally deceive the original victim.

Job seekers should be highly suspicious of any role that asks them to receive funds into a personal account and forward them elsewhere, refuse to let a bank account be used as a pass-through for money on behalf of an employer or online acquaintance, and report suspected recruitment attempts to their bank and to law enforcement.