A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally-acquired money on behalf of someone else. Fraudsters promise “easy money” for simply transferring funds and receiving a “commission” for their service. Acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable even if you are not aware that you’re committing a crime. These are signs of a money mule scam:
* Dating/Social Media: An online companion, whom you never met in person, asks you to receive money and then forward these funds to another individual you do not know or send back a portion of the money.
* Cryptocurrency: You are directed to deposit cash into one or more crypto kiosks.
* Work-from-Home Job: You are asked to open a bank account in your own name or in the name of a company you form. Then you receive and transfer money via wire transfer, ACH, or mail. Report money mule scams to the FBI at ic3.gov.
