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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 27 december 2018

FBI concerned by money mules roped into fraud schemes

By ERIC TUCKER and MI- a much broader swindle.
CHAEL BALSAMO A dual Nigerian-U.S. citizen
Associated Press was ultimately sentenced
WASHINGTON (AP) — The to four years in prison in con-
email caught the execu- nection with the scheme.
tive at a small company “It makes you kind of para-
by surprise one morning in noid,” Williams said, describ-
2016. The company’s own- ing how the experience
er, or so he thought, was re- also made the SAP consult-
questing a money transfer ing firm more vigilant. “Even
to pay for supplies from a to this day, we’re overly
new vendor. cautious about everything.
It wasn’t until that night I think you kind of go to that
when the executive, hours extreme.”
after the money had been As for money mules, they’re
transferred and still puzzled persuaded, sometimes with
by the out-of-the-blue de- the incentive of keeping
mand, texted the owner to a cut of the funds, into al-
make sure he’d heard the lowing money transfers into
request correctly. their own bank accounts at
The befuddled reply was the direction of a fraudster
disheartening: “I just saw they may mistake for an
your message about a wire online friend or romantic
transfer today. What is that In this June 14, 2018, file photo, the FBI seal is seen before a news conference at FBI headquarters partner, a military officer
about?” in Washington. overseas or an employer.
It was all part of a fraud Associated Press They’re then instructed to
scam that targeted com- release of Clint Eastwood’s The FBI and international a relative has been arrest- transfer those funds else-
panies, schools and non- “The Mule,” a real-life tale law enforcement agen- ed and needs urgent bail where, into accounts con-
profits in Connecticut and of an elderly horticulturist cies have stepped up ef- money or that a supposed trolled by criminals.
elsewhere in the United who smuggled cocaine for forts against the fraud and paramour they’ve met on- In one example, the FBI
States and that resulted a Mexican cartel. But the say they’re building bigger line requires cash. In cases says, a fraudster posing
this month in a 45-month modern-day mules of most cases than before. Europol like the Connecticut one, as an Army captain sta-
prison sentence for one concern to the FBI are peo- said this month it had identi- fraudsters assume identities tioned overseas recruited
of the culprits. The case is ple who get themselves fied 1,504 money mules, ar- of executives and scam a man he met online to
part of a seemingly endless entangled in complicated, resting 168, in a continent- employees into wiring cash. be a money mule, saying
cycle of money laundering international money laun- wide bust. The FBI in June That’s what happened in he was making arrange-
schemes that law enforce- dering schemes that cause announced the arrests of 2016 at Beacon Systems, ments to travel home and
ment officials say they’re huge economic losses and 74 people, including 29 in a Texas company where needed the man’s help re-
scrambling to slow through show no signs of stopping. Nigeria, for schemes target- a new employee received ceiving and sending some
a combination of prosecu- “They trial and error this ing businesses and the el- emails from someone she funds. The FBI says $10,000
tion and public awareness. stuff and they see what derly, and has launched a thought was the chief ex- was wired into the man’s
Beyond the run-of-the-mill works and they see what publicity campaign called ecutive officer instruct- account. He was then in-
plots, officials say, is a par- doesn’t,” FBI supervisory “Don’t Be a Mule.” ing her to transfer nearly structed to withdraw it in
ticularly concerning trend special agent James Ab- The money mule cases are $100,000 for a vendor-relat- small increments and send
involving “money mules” — bott said in an interview. an offshoot of more generic ed payment. it to a woman in Texas.
people who, unwittingly or “It’s a much higher suc- frauds encountered by the Several weeks later, Kerry The mules are sometimes
not, use their own bank ac- cess rate when you have FBI, including schemes that Williams, the CEO whose witting conspirators. Oth-
counts to move money for a lot of money using some- dupe people into think- identity was impersonat- er times, they’re elderly,
criminals for purposes they body else’s account going ing they’ve won the lottery ed, was on her way to the lonely or just confused. The
think are legitimate or even through there instead of and can claim their prizes airport when the FBI con- ones the FBI concludes are
noble. The “mule” concept trying to cross the border by wiring an advance pay- tacted her and explained merely unwitting are given
has attracted renewed at- with a physical transporta- ment, or that trick the un- how the company had stern warnings but gener-
tention with this month’s tion of cash.” suspecting into believing been victimized as part of ally avoid prosecution.q