Report: Young people looking for work during the pandemic targeted by ‘money mule’ scams online

Scammers approach victims for money mule operations online through emails, chat rooms, websites and social media. — 123rf.com

Fake adverts on jobs websites and social media platforms are increasingly being used by criminal gangs to recruit young people as money mules to launder profits from illegal activities, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Data by trade association UK Finance and fraud prevention service Cifas revealed that in 2020, there were more than 17,000 suspected money mule cases involving victims described as “Generation Covid” or young people looking for employment during the pandemic who are between 21 to 30 years of age.