Money Mules: Trapped in the Transfer

‘It is not worth it’ – convict appeals to others not to get involved

In the second article in a special series, reporter Gemma Good spoke to a money mule under the condition of anonymity in order to raise awareness on the crime and deter other people from getting involved...

Only in their teens when they were first approached, the young person who spoke to the Celt was at a house party when a supposed friend told them about the money-making opportunity. Looking back on the experience, they said it played out to be the “most traumatising” of their life, to the extent that strangers turned up at their Cavan home and took them to take out money in a the city. They told their story in the hopes that other young people would not get involved.

“Basically, a friend of mine told me about this money-making scheme and he said that he would help me get loads of money, in a short space of time and I agreed to it.”

A few days later, the calls started coming from a no caller ID number.

“[They] asked me for my PAC and my pin and my online banking and stuff like that.”

The teenager gave over the relevant details but knew “not long after” that they had “made a mistake” but didn't know where to turn.

“I felt like I was trapped in a situation that I couldn't get out of.”

** Watch Gemma's 25-minute video documentary **

Road trip

About four weeks after the details were passed over, a no caller ID number was constantly ringing the individual's phone, urging them to come and take the money out. In the meantime, over €4,000 had been deposited into their account, the proceeds of crime by means of fraud. A male voice told them it was time to take the money out of the account.

“I didn't know where they were getting the money from. I was just aware that I had to take this money out and half it with them,” they claimed.

“Big men” came to their home and took them to different locations to withdraw money, a car journey the individual will never forget sitting with “strangers”.

Abandoned

They withdrew “two large sums of money” when the person was then “abandoned”.

“They left me in the streets with no way home,” they said, adding that they were promised “thousands within a week”, which never materialised. The individual told the Celt they had personal “issues” at the time and required money, which is why they decided to get involved.

“I’ll get this and then I'll never have to think about it again,” they thought at the time.

“But that was not the case,” they added.

Naive

“I thought it was a quick money-making situation.

“I had issues in my life and I was young.

“I was only in my teens and I was struggling to think how to pay for these things, and I thought this would help me.”

Now in hindsight, they said: “How naive was I?”

Asked if they ever thought they were doing something illegal during the process, they replied that towards the end of the experience they thought it was “wrong”.

“I thought that I did not want to do this, but I was too far gone in this situation that I couldn't get out of this.”I done my best to try and get out of it but I knew I couldn't get out of it, and I didn't know who to talk to. I really didn't know who to turn to, who to get help from. So I just kept going with it.”

The individual recalled feeling “afraid for my life” and described the consequences of receiving a criminal conviction under Section Seven of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

Restricted

“I am now restricted, I can't go to America, I can't go to Australia,” they say.

“I can't go to certain countries that I really wanted to go to travel that visit because of this incident,” they add, noting how the conviction to their name makes them feel “quite upset”.

“Quite stupid that I actually got involved in this in the first place,” they added.

Victims

Asked if they are aware of the victims in this crime, the individual replied: “I was a victim.”

“They told me that I was going to get all this and all that and everything, and I got hardly nothing, and I got abandoned.

“The whole experience was traumatising between going to court, between facing the judge, between a potential prison sentence.

“Between sitting with people that I didn't know. Strangers, big men.

“I wouldn't want to do it again. No.”

“It was the most traumatising situation I've ever done in my life.”

Appeal

Now in their 20s, the individual appealed to others not to get involved.

“I was in my teens whenever I got told this brilliant money-making opportunity.

“It is not worth it.”

“The gardaí will come and catch you when you're least expecting it and you will have a criminal record like me for this.”

“If something's too good to be true, don't do it. Please.”

If you have been approached to become a money mule make a report to An Garda Síochána in confidence, to help in their work to eradicate the crime. Never hand your bank details over to anybody you don't know or trust. The garda confidential line can be contacted at 1800-666-111 or alternatively you can make a report at Cavan Garda Station.

If you are participating in a money muling scheme, stop transferring money immediately and notify your bank, the service you used to conduct the transaction and the gardaí.

Even if money mules are not involved in the crimes, which generate the money, often cybercrime, they are acting illegally by laundering the proceeds of crime by helping criminals move funds easily around the world while remaining anonymous.