It starts innocently enough for most people; a job offer – work at home, be your own boss, or you get a response to your social media personal ad looking for a friend. Maybe you are a college student who needs some extra cash? After you make that initial contact, your personal information becomes compromised for a variety of frauds. Most of the time your financial accounts are hijacked by a sophisticated criminal enterprise who sole purpose is to move money offshore rapidly and anonymously.
Money mules are the insider threat to the global financial system. Most are unwitting victims of fraud. Some are professional profiteers who hide in plain sight. They take advantage of the trust inherent in our system and undermine the financial institutions who house the accounts.