US Attorney Halsey Frank Appears on WGME TV to Discuss Money Mules

Halsey Frank, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine, appeared on WGME TV to discuss the growing danger of money mules. The story can be seen here. 

A money mule is someone who transfers illegally acquired money at the direction of another. Criminals recruit consumers as recipients of money to physically or electronically move through their own bank accounts, or to assist the movement of money in other ways. 

Some of the schemes include instructions to wire the money into a third party bank account, “cash out” the money via several cashier’s checks, convert the money into a virtual currency or prepaid debit card, send the money via a money service business, or conduct a combination of these actions.

Money mules are frequently recruited through online job or dating websites, social networking sites, online classifieds, email spam, and dark web forums.  A frequent tactic involves befriending people online, often even establishing online romances, with the parties never meeting one another in person. 

The “money mule” scam has escalated in Maine since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 300 Maine residents have become “money mules” during the pandemic.