# Money mule

> A money mule is a person tricked into moving stolen or illegal money through their own bank account on someone else's behalf, usually under the cover of a 'payment processor,' 'financial agent,' or 'money transfer' job that pays a commission. The work is laundering criminal funds, and acting as a mule - even unknowingly - can carry serious legal consequences.

Source: https://realjobcheck.com/glossary/money-mule/  
Updated: 2026-06-02 - Real Job Check Trust and Safety Research Team

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## What it is

A money-mule scheme uses you and your bank account as a layer between criminals and their stolen money. Funds from other frauds land in your account; you are told to forward them on - by wire, crypto, or to another account - and keep a cut. You become the traceable link, which is exactly the point: the risk is moved to you.

## How it reaches you

The job is advertised as a "payment processor," "financial agent," "money transfer specialist," or remote "treasury assistant," often work-from-home with easy pay. It requires your bank account to "process payments," which is the real ask. Recruitment frequently runs through [chat apps](/answers/recruiter-messaged-me-on-whatsapp-or-telegram/) and skips a [real interview](/answers/job-offer-without-an-interview/).

## The tell

Any job whose actual duty is receiving money into your account and sending it elsewhere. Legitimate employers do not run their finances through a new hire's personal bank account.

## What to do

Do not accept, and never hand over your bank details for a role like this - see [should I give my bank account for a job?](/answers/job-asking-for-bank-account-or-ssn/). If you have already moved money for someone, stop, contact your bank, and report to the [FTC](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/) and the FBI's [IC3](https://www.ic3.gov/). The package-handling cousin of this scam is the [reshipping scam](/glossary/reshipping-scam/).