If someone makes this tempting offer to you, be wary of the consequences.
Still “not very widespread” according to law enforcement, this new scam can have consequences on the people who are its victims. The European criminal police agency Europol has just issued a warning: “This is money laundering, it is illegal, and the consequences can be serious for you,” it specifies in a note. This is how criminals do it.
A malicious person usually contacts their target by SMS and “asks you to pass money through your bank account in exchange for cash or to lend them your bank card and give your PIN“. The scammers then make you believe that it is possible, like many people, to receive a nice sum of money thanks to this “work”. And that’s not all: they promise to increase your income if you share this “good deal” by finding other people around you A way according to them to allow you to earn money easily, but above all it is an opportunity for these cybercriminals to launder money. ‘money.
This is what we call “the mule scam” defined by Europol as “a person who transfers money (digitally or in cash) received from a third party to another person, in exchange for a commission”. Victims can also be contacted by email, on social networks or via online pop-up advertisements. Also beware of false job advertisements offering you the opportunity to become a “fund transfer agent”.
People under 35, students and the unemployed as well as foreigners or people in financial difficulties are the preferred targets of this mule scam, which can make you complicit in money laundering or fraudulent acts, and this, even if you are the main victim. Europol recommends that anyone who finds themselves in this situation notifies their bank and the police or reports the account on social networks. It is also advisable to be wary of overly tempting offers and not fill out any contact forms.