Visit Crimestoppers at the Greenwich Student Centre today (Tuesday 22nd March) for more information and to play their free game, Whack a Mule to win some goodies!

A Money Mule is a person who transfers stolen money or merchandise from one country to another, either in person, through a courier service, or electronically. The term is commonly used to describe on-line scams that prey on victims who are unaware that the money or merchandise they are transferring is stolen.

Fraudsters regularly target students to become Money Mules.  Often students do not know or understand what is being asked of them and more importantly that it is illegal. Being a Money Mule is a quick and easy way to make a lot of money, but comes with a very high risk of being caught.

Individuals who are caught can be charged and may face a prison sentence.

Between January and June 2010 over 21,000 accounts were confirmed to have fraudulent money moved through them with a total potential loss of over £26,000,000.

If you think if you've been a victim of a Money Mule scam, you should report it immediately to your bank, and report it to the police.

For further information, you can also visit the following websites:

www.dontbeamule.com
www.banksafeonline.org.uk
www.getsafeonline.org