'Mule Recruitment' is an attempt to get a person to receive stolen funds using his or her bank account, and then transfer those funds to criminals overseas.
Usually, criminals send out millions of fraudulent job and employment emails to random email addresses, in the hope of involving unsuspecting, innocent persons in their criminal activity.
The AHTCC advises that you should ignore and immediately delete any such emails.
Criminals also frequently advertise these bogus jobs on popular employment and job-seeking websites, or approach persons online in chat rooms with 'job offers'.
If you have received money in your bank account, transferred or attempted to transfer money overseas under these circumstances, please contact your financial institution immediately.
Depending on the situation, it is possible that people who agree to participate in such 'jobs' may be prosecuted.
Online criminals are now finding additional ways to launder funds which have been stolen from Australian bank customers.
The new methodology expands on existing money laundering scams; criminals advertise jobs on popular employment or job-seeking websites, online in chat rooms or through unsolicited employment emails.
In this instance, the Mule receives electronic or associated goods, purchased using fraudulently obtained funds. The Mule is then provided with instructions on how and where to forward the goods, and is promised payment of up to $4,000 per week for their services.
Mules unknowingly ship this equipment off, normally to an overseas address, and are often not paid for this ‘employment’.
Depending on the circumstances, Mules may also face prosecution. A conviction for an offence of money laundering may carry a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
If you have received money in your bank account, or have received and/or forwarded goods under these circumstances, please report the incident to your bank and the nearest State or Territory police station.
Depending on the circumstances, people engaged in the laundering of stolen funds may be prosecuted.
Investment and Fund Management companies should also be aware that organised crime groups also appear to be utilising B-Pay to transfer stolen funds from victim accounts to accounts held by the management companies. Accounts are often held in false names or the result of an identity takeover. Stolen funds are then transferred from the managed fund accounts to an alternate account where the crime groups withdraw cash at a branch.
Investment companies should be aware of this methodology and audit transactions to prevent the loss of funds.
