The Serious Organised Crime Division advises that a 54 year old Magra woman has been charged with Dealing in the Proceeds of Crime.

In this instance, Police will allege that the woman moved and laundered money for international organised crime syndicates.  She took deliberate and active steps to open bank accounts in Hobart to enable receipt and transfer of fund in and out of Australia. Between February 2014 and February 2015, $455,738.35 was credited to her various accounts with nearly the same amount transferred or withdrawn from the account.  It is also alleged that she also involved members of her family to transfer an additional $1.7 million out of the country.

Even when various banks cancelled her accounts, she continued with the behaviour and a further $1 million was intercepted going into the account.  She also developed elaborate stories as to why the money was going into the accounts when queries were made by the banks. She benefited $3221.54 during this time.

She has been charged and bailed by police to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court at a later date.

While this story was quite sophisticated, there are ordinary everyday citizens within Australia that are also dealing in the proceeds of crime.  These people, known as money mules, also risk prosecution.

A money mule is a person who acts as a ‘middle man’ in an illegal transaction for the purpose of hiding the identity and location of the criminal.

It usually occurs when a scammer will contact a person by telephone or via social media and ask them to co-operate in the process.  They will provide all sorts of reasons to convince the person it is authentic. This can include approaching vulnerable people telling them they are from a Government agency or even from the bank which has accidently put money into their account and they will need to give it back.

The money that goes into the account is money scammed from someone, somewhere in the world.  The scammer will then give the money mule directions as to what to do with the money, which normally means forwarding the funds through an instant payment mechanism such as Western Union, which is irreversible and untraceable.

The money may also go through other bank accounts belonging to money mules from other countries before into the pockets of the criminal.

Advice:

If unexpected money appears in your account, notify your bank immediately.

Don’t engage with a person who makes contact with you asking you to transfer money for them.

Never send money to anyone you have not met in person.  This also includes people you have ‘met’ via email, social media sites or Skype.