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Warning for online money mules

Police chiefs are urging people looking for work during the recession to be alert to online scams that trick them into laundering money.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) says websites are currently being used to recruit "money mules".

The "mules" are ordinary people who send and receive payments through their bank accounts to facilitate business.

But in reality, the cash has been laundered from crime, leaving unwitting mules open to prosecution.

The warning comes at the beginning of the annual Get Safe Online week, a campaign jointly run by government, law enforcement agencies and industry to alert people to the dangers of fraud on the internet.

According to the campaign, fraudsters are using a variety of bogus and legitimate recruitment channels to con job-hunters into thinking they have found genuine employment.



But in each case the job comes down to asking the victim to receive relatively small amounts of money into their own account and then move them onwards to another bank.

Official figures suggest there was a 55% rise in online banking fraud in the first half of 2009, equal to £39m in losses.

That money inevitably needs to be laundered through the system so that it cannot be linked to the criminal networks behind the original theft.

But Get Safe Online says its survey found that that nine out of 10 people had never heard of money mule scams, despite widespread use of the internet to find work.

Accounts frozen

Sharon Lemon, deputy director of Soca's e-crime division, which provides a strategic lead in combating online fraud in the UK, said: "Criminals are reliant on mule operations to receive and forward money taken from online banking fraud.

"Some money mules know exactly what they are doing. However, many end up unwittingly laundering profits for overseas criminals as a result of being taken in by fake recruitment sites.

"The consequence is that they end up liable for all the criminal funds they've received - which must be repaid, their bank accounts are frozen and they may be subject to criminal investigation."

Tony Neate, head of GetSafeOnline.org, said: "At any given time, there are approximately 100 known mule recruitment sites targeting the UK, each of which may have around 50 active mules.

"Many will be moving considerable sums of money, but even based on a low estimate that each mule makes just three to four transactions, amounting to around £1,500, before being caught - that's already £7.5m in illegal funds.

"Fraudsters go to great lengths to convince potential mules that they are applying for a genuine job - some even issue official-looking employment contracts for their 'employees' to sign.

"Many mules are unwitting accomplices; they are the easiest part of the criminal chain to track down."




Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2009/11/16 03:36:43 GMT
© BBC MMIX

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dogtoffee

I've had three of these letters this was the last one.


Hello.

I am sorry for the late reply. Are you still interested in a part time position?

Please reply back your full name and phone number and I will contact you immediately with details. Do not forget to attach your latest resume or CV.

If you want to apply please send all your questions and contact information at andreinovitchi@gmail.com . We're looking forward to our further communication.


Thank You and have a wonderful day.

dogtoffee

I just got an other one.


We appreciate your response regarding the open vacancy ADW Company is offering. We're currently seeking motivated and responsible individuals to attend the post of a 'Price monitoring manager'. This remote position itself covers a broad range of directions an individual would have to perform. It's a part time position, which let's you perform your duties directly from your home location. In the nearest future, we're planning to achieve the expansion of our company throughout the United States of America and United Kingdom, providing local offices and departments in the vast areas, where payments, transportation and staffing services are definitely in demand. Until then, we're trying to fill in our personnel with new individuals, which will increase the efficiency of the services we're catering.



Job description:
We will give you the list of online shops and item name. You will need to find them on the websites and check the price and stock and make a repost for us. You will get 10 usd per 1 task. At the beginning of the employment with us, we'll be able to establish a moderate level of assignments daily, however once we proceed further, the quantity of assignments will be significally increased, which will lead to additional revenue for your side. If you will complete tasks correctly and on time you can earn 2000-3000 usd per month. You can request money 15 days after first task will be completed.

If you wish to get a job, please register at our secure Web-based intranet system - Prime Insurance Company | Online extranet office and check documents menu, there you can find your first task.




You're advised to check the intranet system frequently enough to catch up with the fresh incoming information. By applying the work schedule, we'll make sure you'll be able to complete the provided assignments at the most convenient interim.




Please ask all your questions using our secure web-mail system because we do not monitor this e-mail.


Respectfully,
Nancy Cote. HR department.