The National Police, the Civil Guard and the Spanish Banking Association (AEB) have collaborated in the latest global action against money laundering through money mules carried out by law enforcement authorities in 30 countries.
More than 650 banks and 17 banking associations have joined the fight against fraudulent mule transactions and have helped prevent losses of €12.9 million, as part of the fifth European Money Mule Action (EMMA5), which took place between September and November 2019.
This blow to organised crime has made it possible to identify 3,833 people acting as money mules and 386 recruiters, and has resulted, so far, in 228 arrests, although many of the 1,025 criminal investigations opened are still ongoing.
This year, law enforcement, judicial and financial authorities from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, Australia, Moldova, Norway, Switzerland and Ukraine have taken part in this international operation.
Support from Europol, Eurojust and the European Banking Federation (EBF) has made it possible to step up efforts in the fight against money mule networks—people who, often unknowingly, contribute to laundering money from illegal activities such as drug trafficking or human trafficking by receiving and transferring money from their bank accounts.
The #NoSeasMula campaign launches today across Europe to raise awareness of this type of fraud and the serious legal consequences it can entail, even if mules act without realising they are committing a crime, such as prison sentences or a criminal record.
Cases of romance scams have been on the rise in 2019, as criminals increasingly use online dating sites and social media to recruit new accomplices for money laundering, especially students and young people.
Here you will find useful information on the modus operandi of these criminal gangs and tips to avoid being drawn into their crimes. You can also follow our recommendations on social media using the hashtags #DontbeaMule and #NoSeasMula.
