Money Mules are people who, at someone else’s direction, receive and move money obtained from victims of fraud.

How can you protect yourself and ensure you don’t facilitate one of these scams?

Warning signs:

  • Someone you met online asks you to accept money and send it to someone else.
  • Someone asks you to open a bank or cryptocurrency account.
  • Someone asks you to receive packages for them.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Don’t agree to receive or send money or packages for people you don’t know or haven’t met in person.
  • Don’t send money to an online love interest, even if the money was sent to you first.
  • Don’t pay to collect a prize or send someone money out of your “winnings.”
  • Never give your financial information to someone you don’t know and trust.

If you believe that you are participating in a money mule scam, report the suspicious activity to the FBI’s Internet Compliant Center (IC3) at ic3.gov or contact your local FBI field office.