Money Mule activity, is a fast growing and prolific problem in school, college and university environments; it is a key facilitator for online fraud, other cyber related and traditional crime. It relies on access to bank/financial accounts in order to cash out funds stolen by Organised Criminal Networks (OCG’s). Educating young people about the way that criminals try to recruit money mules and the way that the bank transfers are carried out is key to helping them avoid becoming a money mule themselves. It is also important for young people to understand the consequences if they are discovered carrying out these illegal transactions. Despite the temptation to get involved, the potential criminal convictions would be on record for many years, affecting their future choices in life.
How To Use
By the end of the session, the pupils should be able to explain what a Money Mule is and how criminals may try to contact and recruit people online. They should be able to explain what the consequences could be if they were caught transferring money for someone else online and how to protect themselves from becoming a Money Mule. Some pupils will be able to explain in more detail, why criminals need to transfer money through other people’s accounts and the types of criminal activity that has generated the money.
The associated resources needed for this session can be found below. 'Resource 1' is the KS3 presentation and 'Resource 2' is the parent/carer guidance information.
