Don't be a money mule!
Recent industry intelligence confirms that the number of e-mail fraud transfer scams is substantially increasing.
Criminals living overseas typically favour these scams, as they need a third party to assist them to transfer funds out of UK Bank accounts.
These third parties (known as 'Mules') are usually recruited via specifically targeted phishing emails and Trojan scams. Individuals are offered “easy” money in exchange for their bank account details, and routinely receive an instant commission following the transfer of large sums of money overseas.
Things to look out for
- Unsolicited e-mails which offer a high return for minimal involvement over a specified time period
- E-mails which offer the recipient an attractive title such as "UK rep, Sales Manager or Shipping Manager"
- Recruitment adverts, online and in newspapers seeking UK representatives which have poor grammar, spelling and punctuation
- Correspondence seeking individuals with no previous criminal record
It's important to remember that by becoming involved in a fraud transfer scam, you become caught up in a criminal case and will face investigation and prosecution. Additionally criminals hold your account details, therefore the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft yourself increases.
Remember if an offer looks too good to be true, it usually is!
