FBI Warns Of Increase In Money Mule Schemes; COVID-19 Unemployment May Put More People At Risk
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The FBI is warning of an increase in so-called money mule schemes in which scammers will have people transfer illegal money between different accounts to make it harder to track the source.
Last year, Maryland ranked fifth in the country for the number of money mules, the agency said. This year, more people may be at risk of falling victim due to unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The FBI warned people to be aware of fake work-from-home jobs that may be related to money mule scams, some of which may have victims start by performing tasks like researching the price of hand sanitizer before eventually being asked to accept money into their own bank accounts or open new ones.
Even if victims don't profit off the scheme, they could be prosecuted, the agency said.
To learn more about money mule schemes, click here.
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