Latest news with #MarieAndersson
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
The $200 trick criminals use to turn some Australians into 'money mules'
Criminals are offering Australians as little as $200 to rent out their bank accounts, turning people into "money mules". The Australian Federal Police (AFP) warned this week that renting, selling or sharing your bank account details is illegal and can expose you to serious risk, even if you don't realise a crime is being committed. The AFP said in many cases, people are offered between $200 and $500, or promised a cut of the transferred funds, simply for receiving and passing on money through their personal bank accounts. That money is often funnelled through cryptocurrency platforms or withdrawn in cash to make it harder to trace. AFP detective superintendent Marie Andersson said criminals rely on everyday Australians to help move their money. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Andersson said. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The AFP said a 26-year-old woman was jailed in April this year as part of a money laundering syndicate which used money mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash — which was alleged to be the proceeds of criminal activity — into bank accounts. These accounts were used to launder $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which were ultimately transferred overseas. Mule accounts a 'key tactic in a criminal's playbook' According to the Commonwealth Bank, many people who act as money mules are not aware they are doing anything wrong. Some are recruited through job scams or social media ads offering easy income, while others are approached by friends or acquaintances. Young people, students and new arrivals to Australia are often targeted. An example of a money mule scam text message. Source: Supplied / Commonwealth Bank Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said mule accounts were a key part of a scammer's business model and banks were focused on identifying, investigating and shutting them down. "Using mule accounts to hide and move stolen money around is a key tactic in a criminal's playbook," Bligh said. "I urge Australians to steer clear if you've seen an advertisement or are approached to rent or sell your bank account. There's a good chance you're being recruited to hide the profits of criminal activity." To stay safe, the AFP and banks recommend: Never sharing your bank account or login details with anyone Avoiding job offers that involve receiving and forwarding money. Reporting anything suspicious to your bank, Scamwatch or ReportCyber.
9 News
23-07-2025
- Business
- 9 News
'Money mules' loaning bank accounts to help crooks launder millions
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here "Money mules" renting out their bank accounts are helping criminals launder millions of dollars in Australia. The Australian Federal Police and the Australian Banking Association are urging Australians to not share their banking details or loan their account out, as they step up efforts to curb this criminal activity. Money mules are people who – knowingly or unknowingly – are recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts to make the funds appear legitimate to authorities. People are being warned against renting or loaning out their bank accounts to potential criminals. (Nine) Money mules may also rent or sell their account for a payment. This routing of money through a legitimate Australian bank account obfuscates the flow of the dirty cash, making it difficult to track. The mules are paid anywhere from $200 to $500 for the use of their personal accounts and may receive a commission on funds received into their accounts (typically about 10 per cent). Fund transfers from legitimate bank accounts can obscure the trail of illicit money. (Getty) Criminals target potential money mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, chat forums, online advertisements and even in face-to-face meetings. Job and romance scams and even outright threats have been used to gain access to people's bank accounts for fund transfers. Criminal networks are also increasingly instructing money mules to move funds through cryptocurrency exchanges/ATMs (CATM) and global money transfer apps, as these platforms enable faster and more discreet transfers than traditional banking institutions. In these instances, money mules are instructed to withdraw physical cash from their account and deposit it into a CATM, where the money is sent to a digital wallet controlled by the criminal. According to Scamwatch, $141.7 million was lost to scammers via bank transfers last year. Money laundering convictions carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in Australia. AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said money laundering was an integral part of organised crime. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Andersson said. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." ABA Chief Executive Anna Bligh said mule accounts were a key part of a scammer's business model and banks were focused on shutting them down. "I urge Australians to steer clear if you've seen an advertisement or are approached to rent or sell your bank account," she said. "There's a good chance you're being recruited to hide the profits of criminal activity." If you are concerned your identity has been compromised, contact the national identity and cyber support service IDCARE. crime Fraud banks Australia national CONTACT US
The Advertiser
23-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Has someone asked to 'rent' your bank account?
Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Perth Now
22-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Has someone asked to 'rent' your bank account?
Last year, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) Last year, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP Don't let cybercriminals turn your bank account into a money mule. That's the warning from authorities who have issued a major alert to bank customers, some of whom have been taking payments of as little as $200 to share their details. Money mules are people who are knowingly or unknowingly recruited by criminal syndicates to transfer illicit money in and out of their personal accounts, making it appear legitimate. As more criminal networks seek ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, they are open to paying money mules anything from $200 to $500 to help out. But taking that "commission" can lead to serious legal consequences, like life in prison. "It is illegal to rent, buy or sell bank accounts, and doing so supports the criminal ecosystem," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said on Tuesday. "Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism." The warning comes after a 26-year-old Sydney woman was jailed for 21 months in April for renting 10 bank accounts to a Vietnamese money laundering syndicate. The syndicate used mules in Sydney and Melbourne to pick up and deposit cash through ATMs and into bank accounts. This mule regularly changed her clothes and wore wigs and sunglasses to conceal her identity from ATM cameras during the deposits. The 10 accounts she used laundered $3.8 million in proceeds of crime, which was transferred overseas. In 2024, around $142 million was lost to scammers through bank transfers in Australia, according to Scamwatch. Criminals target mules through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, online advertisements and chat forums. Common methods include employment scams, where people are promised quick and easy money for transferring funds into their bank accounts. Others are threat scams, where victims are threatened with criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer funds. There are also romance scams, where the criminals build an online relationship with a person before asking for personal bank account details or to transfer money Money mules are increasingly being asked to move funds through cryptocurrency and global money transfer apps, which can be faster and more discreet. "Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip off a family member or someone else you know," Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said. "Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account." Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Perth Now
22-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Australians warned against renting bank details to crime networks
The AFP is warning people not to rent out their bank accounts. The AFP is warning people not to rent out their bank accounts. Credit: istock Australians have been warned against some think is a 'harmless crime', by becoming 'money mules' and renting out their bank details to criminals. In its latest warning the Australian Federal Police said many Australians were knowingly or unknowingly becoming money mules for criminals who used their bank accounts to move illicit money into a personal account to make the funds appear legitimate. According to the Australian Banking Association, the major banks made moves to shut down almost 13,000 suspected accounts in the 2024 financial year, up from the 9000 accounts they had discovered in the previous year. Camera Icon Australians are being warned against giving their details out to criminals, scammer generic. Credit: istock The big increase was largely due to an increase in detection capabilities and greater intelligence sharing between the banks and law enforcement. These mules are paid anywhere between $200 to $500 plus a commission, which is usually 10 per cent on any money moved through the account. ABA chief executive Anna Bligh said mule accounts were a key part of a scammer's business model and banks were focused on identifying, investigating and shutting them down. 'Renting or selling your bank account may seem harmless, but you may be unwittingly helping a scammer to rip-off a family member or someone else you know,' she said. 'Don't let criminals cash in on your bank account. 'There's a good chance you're being recruited to hide the profits of criminal activity.' According to the AFP, criminals are targeting Australians through social media, messaging or gaming platforms, chat forums, online advertisements and even in face-to-face meetings. Camera Icon 13,000 accounts are under investigation from the major banks iStock Credit: istock These individuals will then be recruited by money laundered in three main ways. •Employment scams – these are designed to exploit job seekers by offering what seems like quick and easy money for little work. Applicants are asked to have an Australian bank account to transfer funds and are promised a commission for their work. •Threat scams – scammers contact victims threatening criminal charges and arrest unless they transfer and receive funds. •Romance scams – scammers build a relationship online and then request the victim to transfer money to other accounts, typically overseas, using their personal bank account. From here the criminal networks are increasingly telling these money mules to move the funds into a cryptocurrency exchange or ATM and global money transfer apps to make it harder to detect. AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said it was illegal to rent, buy or sell bank account details. 'Your account may be housing money derived from scams, extortion, drug trafficking and terrorism,' Ms Andersson said 'If a criminal has access to your bank accounts and personal details, they may use this information to commit other crimes, potentially implicating you in their illegal activities.' Money laundering is a serious criminal offence with charges carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in Australia.
