Young people warned not to be exploited as ‘money mules’ for UK criminal gangs

West Midlands commissioner and HSBC say moving illegally gained money is an offence that helps serious crime

Thousands of young people in the UK are being exploited by criminals and used as “money mules” to move cash between accounts, undetected by police.

The West Midlands police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster, this week launched a campaign on TikTok and Instagram warning teenagers against the dangers of being offered cash to use their bank account to transfer funds to another account. Offenders recruit a third party to help move money in a way that avoids detection by police.