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What is a money mule?

A money mule is someone who moves stolen or illegal money for others, often knowingly or unknowingly, using their own bank account.

This activity is a form of money laundering that helps criminals hide where the money came from. 

Other terms for a money mule include:

  • Money transfer agent
  • Money laundering accomplice
  • Squaring

Scammers often target students, young people, and those in financial difficulty, to act as money mules.

What happens in money mule scams?

In money mule scams, scammers convince someone to accept stolen money into their bank account. They then ask the person to move the money by:

  • Transferring it to another account
  • Withdrawing cash and handing it over to the scammers

Sometimes, scammers may even request the victim's debit card to access the funds directly.

To gain trust, scammers often offer rewards, such as letting the victim keep a portion of the money, or provide gifts, such as expensive new clothes, trainers or iPhones. 

While it may seem like an easy way to make money, acting as a money mule is a criminal offence with serious consequences.

How are customers targeted?

Scammers use various tactics to recruit money mules, including:

  • Approaching people online or through social media
  • Advertising fake job opportunities offering ‘quick cash’ with ‘no experience needed’
  • Sending spam emails offering ‘easy money’
  • Convincing victims that the activity is harmless and without consequences

Scammers often hide the true source of the money, which is frequently linked to serious organised crime. They may use fake social media profiles to build trust by pretending to share your interests.

Stop and think: would you handle physical cash for a criminal?

The real cost of being a money mule

While it might seem like a harmless way to make extra money, acting as a money mule has serious consequences. Most people are unaware of where the money comes from or where it’s going.

Criminals rely on money mules to launder profits from crimes such as:

  • Fraud and scams
  • Terrorism
  • Human and drug trafficking
  • Tax evasion

If you’re caught acting as a money mule, you could face:

  • Up to 14 years in prison and a criminal record
  • Being left with debts to repay
  • Having your bank accounts closed
  • Difficulty opening new bank accounts
  • Problems applying for loans, mortgages, or even mobile phone contracts
  • Being dismissed from university
  • Challenges finding future employment

How to stay safe

If someone offers you ‘easy money’ and wants to ‘borrow’ your bank account or transfer money, stop and think. Talk to someone you trust and be aware of the risks.

You should:

  • Do your research on the ‘job opportunity’
  • Think, does the request to use your account make sense?

You shouldn’t:

  • Open an account in your name for someone else
  • Allow your account to be used to send and receive funds for others
  • Share your PINs, passwords or one-time passcodes

How to report it

If you're worried that you or someone close to you is involved in money muling, help is available.

  • Contact us immediately using the number on the back of your card
  • Report it anonymously to Crimestoppers

This article was last updated: 07/05/2026, 06:58

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