What to do if a ‘money mule’ scam affects your French bank account
Scammers send you money ‘by mistake’ and become increasingly threatening if you do not return it
People who send money back to scammers risk getting involved in money laundering cases
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People with bank accounts in France are being warned of an increasingly common scam which could leave them facing fines - and possible imprisonment - for unknowingly laundering money.
The ‘bank mule’ scam sees fraudsters send a sum of money to a person’s bank account before contacting the account holder to say the transfer was made by mistake and asking for it to be returned.
The sums can range in size from a small amount up to thousands of euros.
Scammers will use an excuse such as they made a mistake putting in the bank account details to send money to a friend and ask you to transfer the money back or onto a new account.
To gain your trust, they may sometimes offer to let you keep a small amount of the money.
If you do not agree to send the money back the scammers become increasingly aggressive and threatening in their messages.
Unwitting participant in money laundering
Sending the money back however could see the account owner complicit in money laundering.
The scam has become common as a way to effectively launder money from illicit means – mainly drug trafficking – as sending it through the account of an individual not involved in the trade can make it harder for authorities to trace.
However, if you do send the money back – even if under pressure – you are at risk of becoming involved in the illegalities, which can carry up to five years in prison and a €375,000 fine.
Even if able to prove your innocence and that you made the transfer under duress, it is likely your bank account will be blocked during investigations, leaving you without access to some or all of your funds.
More proactive versions of bank mule fraud see scammers actively recruiting people on social media for an easy job they can do whilst working from home, without qualifications.
Scammers ask people to transfer money through their account – or sometimes through cryptocurrency – or to open new bank accounts in their name to use for money laundering.
In these instances the person is more complicit in the crime and not a victim of any scam.
Read more: Three questions on instant bank transfers as they become free in France
What to do if you receive an unexpected bank transfer?
If you receive money in your account unexpectedly, you should not use it. In rare cases it may have been sent by genuine error through your bank and you will need to return it even if it is not a scam.
You should contact your bank and inform them of the transfer, especially if you receive a text alongside it asking you to move the funds to a specific account.
You can also inform the police of the situation, including if the texts become threatening.
Read more: You can now report certain crimes anywhere in France using online tool
Scammers often receive your bank account and contact information through ‘phishing’ scams.
Read more: France is worst country in Europe for bank card fraud: how to protect yourself
