This year, the State Police opened more than 50 cases against the so-called "money mules". These intermediaries are often young people who probably do not always understand what this role means for them. Meanwhile, the punishment can be very real and long.
In Latvia, young people aged 20-25 are often complicit in financial crimes. To do this, they only need to agree to seemingly innocent things. For example, you can withdraw other people's cash from an ATM and transfer it to third parties, keeping a small percentage for yourself. Or let someone else use their account, "he writes rus.lsm.lv with reference to LR 4.." Unfortunately, indeed over the past couple of months we have seen a trend: young people are becoming money couriers. They allow you to use your bank accounts [ ... ] for money laundering, for withdrawing funds obtained by criminal means," says Kaspar Brishka, head of IT Security at Citadele Bank.
According to him, the accounts of such young Latvians can be used for money received, for example, as a result of telephone fraud, when gullible people are lured out of access to accounts and emptied them, withdrawing stolen funds using couriers. "We have about 30 cases in a couple of months when our young people participate in such schemes. Probably, without fully realizing the risks associated with this, " he states.
If you open an account for someone else. According to Inese Ratfeldere, head of the First Department of the State Police Department for Combating Economic Crimes, if a person "simply" opened an account and transferred access to it, an article can be applied for misleading about who the real user of funds is. The penalty is up to one year of imprisonment in general, but it can be up to two years.
What is the risk for "laundering" in the group. But there is also a penalty for legalizing money obtained by criminal means ("laundering"). For" just " legalization, the guilty person can be jailed for up to 4 years, if this happens in a group by prior agreement — up to 5 years. "In the case of an organized group and large size, it is from 3 to 15 years. And you should always remember that if someone asked (and it's always someone who asked), then you are no longer alone. That is, this student is no longer alone - it is already a group. And practice shows that there is never limited to two participants, there is always organized crime. And this means that most likely the punishment will be from 3 to 15 years, " I. Ratfelde describes, than the "money mules"risk.
"What should I do if a person realizes that they are participating in such a scheme and wants to stop? First, you need to contact your bank and inform them that this has happened. You must stop transferring funds and other actions with the account. You also need to inform the police, so that if there is already an investigation, mitigate the blame, so that it is taken into account that the person informed the police himself," advises K. Brishka.
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Launder operations: how to punish money "mules"
In the Latvian Economic Court, almost half of the criminal cases are related to money laundering involving so-called "money mules". These are mostly young people under the age of 25 who, for the sake of quick and easy profit, agreed to "help a little".
Work as a "money transfer agent"
Last year, the State Police launched more than 50 cases against "money mules". At the same time, as stated by the police, the suspects did not always understand what they were threatened by this work.
They agreed to seemingly innocent things. For example, you can withdraw other people's cash from an ATM and transfer it to third parties, keeping a small percentage for yourself. Or let someone else use your account.
Most often, recruiters find their victims in social networks or instant messengers, for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, VK.
It all starts with a job offer at home with the opportunity to earn "good, quick and easy money". This is often referred to as working as a "money transfer agent" or "money transfer agent".
However, as Inese Ratfeldere, head of the First Department of the State Police Department for Combating Economic Crimes, previously explained to journalists, if a person "simply" opened an account and transferred access to it, an article can already be applied to him for misleading about who the real user of funds is. The penalty is up to one year of imprisonment in general, but it can be up to two years.
"In the case of an organized group and large size, it is from 3 to 15 years. And you should always remember that if someone asked (and it's always someone who asked), then you are no longer alone. That is, this student is no longer alone - it is already a group. And practice shows that there is never limited to two participants, there is always organized crime. And this means that most likely the sentence will be from 3 to 15 years."
How many "mules" are already on trial
According to the judicial administration, the Economic Affairs Court received 91 criminal cases in the first nine months of its activity, that is, from March 31, 2021.
Of these, 74 or 81% are cases qualified under Article 195 of the Criminal Law and concern the legalization of funds obtained by criminal means.
At the same time, out of all "washing" cases, "money mules" make up 39%, the portal indicates Lv.lv with reference to the President of the Economic Affairs Court, Indra Pumpure.
So far, in four cases, three years ' imprisonment has been applied, in one-for a year and 2 months, and in two more-for 6 months and 4 months. In one case, there was a fine of ten minimum wages, i.e., 5,000 euros.
Most often, the economic court used forced labor-from 100 to 270 hours. Rewards are still confiscated as funds obtained by criminal means.
What do "mules" do?
They usually transfer their bank account to a third party. If there isn't one, they open a new one on purpose.
The participant will have to increase the cash withdrawal limit linked to their current account.
Transfers are often made at night or late at night, and most often their source is money fraudulently obtained from victims from other countries.
After the transfer ,the "mule" must withdraw money from an ATM and transfer it to a third party, receiving a reward for this.
The rewards are different, sometimes 10, 25, 50, or even 500 euros. Sometimes the remuneration is determined as a percentage of the transferred funds.
QQAAZZ Network Case
One of the most high-profile cases in which Latvians were involved as "washmen" is the exposure of the international network QQAAZZ.
Last year, it became known that 20 people were detained in several countries, including Latvia, for participating in an international network that laundered millions of euros stolen by cybercriminals. Six people were detained in Latvia, most of them young people aged 24-25.
According to the US Department of Justice, QQAAZZ members colluded with cybercriminals around the world to launder money stolen from computer fraud victims in the United States and other countries. More than 40 searches were conducted in Latvia, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, and criminal prosecutions were initiated in the United States, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The QQAAZZ network has opened and maintained hundreds of corporate and personal bank accounts with financial institutions around the world. It received money from cybercriminals who stole it from victims ' bank accounts. The funds were then transferred to other bank accounts controlled by QQAAZZ. Sometimes they were converted into cryptocurrency using services designed to hide the original source of funds. For the legalization of shadow capital, QQAAZZ allegedly charged its cybercriminal clients a commission of 40-50% of the transaction amount.
The State Police Department for Combating Cybercrime, for its part, reported that the six criminals detained in Latvia had a total of 4.5 million euros in circulation. These funds were held through the accounts of fictitious firms. The arrest was carried out in cooperation with the FBI, Europol and Portuguese law enforcement agencies.
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Network of 90 "money mules" uncovered in Latvia: 14 people detained
In Latvia, the largest network for the legalization of stolen money - "money mules" - has been revealed. Yesterday, the specialized prosecutor's Office for organized crime and other crimes announced that a group of 14 people, including a German citizen, was brought to justice. In total, more than 90 people aged 16-20 were involved in the activities of the" laundry", whose accounts received stolen money. Many of them are underage teenagers.
According to the investigation, the criminal group "laundered" in Latvia more than half a million-555,600 euros stolen from residents of Germany.
The bank noticed strange transfers
The criminal trial on suspicion of large-scale money laundering was launched two and a half years ago. Then employees of one of the Latvian banks noticed regular and suspicious receipts from Germany to their clients ' accounts.
Apparently, many thefts occurred in the same way as in Latvia — when people get phone calls from scammers and introduce themselves as "bank employees". During the conversation, they gain access to the bank data of "customers" and steal money from the account. Then this money was transferred via instant payments to Latvian accounts, " Ruslan Grigs, a representative of the state police, told reporters.
This was the job of the "money mules", who received ZIB payments to their bank accounts mainly from German citizens. Funds deposited into their accounts were immediately withdrawn in cash, mostly at midnight.
Victims who discovered that their accounts were empty usually tried to cancel outgoing money transactions the next day, but given that the organizers of the criminal group ensured that these funds were immediately withdrawn from the "money mule" account, only a small percentage of victims managed to intercept and return the withdrawn funds.
After analyzing the data, it was concluded that about 30 such crimes were committed within one month, and it was estimated that the criminal group has been active in Latvia since at least September 2019.
How much did the "mules" get
The withdrawal of money took place in an organized manner, each member of the criminal group had its own role, " the state police reports.
For one transfer, young people received from 100 to 250 euros.
Criminals searched for " money mules "and recruited them" for part-time work " on the Internet. They also attracted students - schoolchildren, students.
Usually, offers to earn easy money are distributed in social networks, in applications for communication.
Mule transfers its bank account to a third party. If there isn't one, it opens a new one on purpose. After the transfer ,the "mule" must transfer the money to a third party, receiving a reward for this. (For more information about this work, see the chapter " What articles usually include "mules").
According to the police, 13 members of an organized criminal group who recruited "money mules" were detained back in April 2020.
The leader of the criminal group, who lived in Germany, was detained in May this year on the basis of a European arrest warrant.
Recently, the German side issued a detainee for criminal prosecution in Latvia. The responsibility of each member of the group, including the "money mules", will be assessed by the court in separate criminal cases.
Police: "mules" will block their own accounts
Given the number of young people who have agreed to participate in money laundering, the state police issued another warning this week: such actions can lead to criminal liability with all the consequences that follow.
One of the accompanying problems: there will be difficulties in further everyday life, as banks close accounts and access to Internet banking for "laundering".
This means that the young person will not have a bank account to which his salary will be transferred, and, accordingly, he will not be able to make non-cash payments, pay for purchases with a card, or make purchases in online stores. They will also have limited access to various Internet services (wherever authorization occurs through a bank), including in government institutions.
What articles do "mules" usually fall under?
What exactly is the "crime" in the work of mules? The State Police indicates:
* if a person agrees to an offer to lend someone their bank card for one or several days, this is subject to criminal liability on the grounds of a criminal offense (dissemination of information that makes it possible to misuse a payment instrument), provided for in part one of Article 1931 of the Criminal Law;
* if a person provides deliberately false information to the bank, this is subject to criminal liability under the criminal offense provided for in part one of Article 1951 of the Criminal Law (failure to provide information or providing deliberately false information about the receipt of funds to the account);
* if individuals agree to an offer to receive funds to their bank account fraudulently and transfer them to another bank account for a fee, or withdraw them in cash from an ATM and return them with or without a fee, this is subject to criminal liability in accordance with the criminal offense provided for in part two of Article 195 of the Criminal Law (criminal legalization of financial funds of a group of persons by prior agreement);
* if individuals agree to the offer to search for and attract other "money mules", withdraw money from foreign bank cards at ATMs, transfer cash to other persons, issue payment cards to" money mules " after their use, this is subject to criminal liability under part three of Article 195 of the Criminal Code (legalization of funds obtained by criminal means, as part of an organized group).
Latvian "mules" robbed and Americans
As it turned out, a certain Latvian participated in the money laundering of an international group of scammers, which actively "worked" with the international platforms Craigslist and eBay.
According to US court documents, the criminal group lured more than $ 10 million (about 9.5 million euros)from US residents
The members of the organized group posted ads for the sale of cars, construction equipment, agricultural machinery and boats, but in fact they did not have any of these items.
Simply threw, having received money.
On April 11, employees of the Latvian State Police, while fulfilling an extradition request received from the United States, detained a Latvian citizen in connection with participation in an international fraud scheme and the legalization of criminally acquired funds. And the court decided positively on the issue of his extradition to the United States.
During the investigation, it turned out that the 29-year-old Latvian participated in the scheme as a supervisor for "money mules".
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"Money laundering": 12 "money mules"were convicted
The Economic Court, considering a case of money laundering that was committed using a network of so-called "money mules", decided to approve the results of a plea bargain and punishment concluded between the prosecutor and 12 defendants.
The defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to five years, depending on each defendant's role in the organized group. For 11 members of the group, the terms were imposed conditionally and with a probationary period.
Let us remind you in this regard: "money mules" are people through whom criminal groups launder money. For example, after receiving them to your account, "mule" withdraws them in cash and, keeping a reward, gives them to the customer.
How the scheme worked
As previously reported by the prosecutor's office, a total of 14 defendants were involved in the case, one of whom turned out to be a German citizen, and all his accomplices were Latvian citizens. It should be noted that in total the group of "mules" included more than 90 people. (A large-scale investigation of this criminal case was conducted jointly with Eurojust).
Members of the group legalized in Latvia funds criminally obtained abroad in the course of fraud and other crimes.
The money stolen abroad was credited to the bank accounts of Latvian residents in the form of ZIB payments, after which the funds were withdrawn in "cash", converted into cryptocurrency and credited to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the organizers of the organized group.
The Prosecutor's office in this regard notes: when investigating such cases, it is often a "mule" who may not even know that the money was obtained by criminal means. However, this is not an exemption from liability.
45,000 euros have already been recovered from the accused
The agreement on the admission of guilt and punishment was concluded with those defendants who used the right to cooperation provided for by the Criminal Procedure Law. They fully admitted their guilt and, prior to the conclusion of the agreement, fully or partially returned to the state budget the funds obtained by criminal means, as well as the money they received as a reward for money laundering.
In total, before the conclusion of the agreement, almost 45,000 euros were collected from the defendants, and an agreement was reached on the voluntary return of the remaining part of the criminally acquired funds to the state treasury.
In respect of another accused, the case was sent to the Economic Court for general consideration. The pre-trial investigation is continuing in relation to the other accused.
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How Latvian money "mules" got caught in Estonia
Recently, cases have become more frequent when conscientious people transfer money from abroad to their bank accounts and give them to a stranger in cash, thereby contributing to the commission of a crime.Postimees with reference to the newspaper Pealinn.
An excuse is, for example, the provision of a service when the victim is asked to help transfer money. It is alleged that the person does not have an account in Estonia, and someone transfers money to the victim's account in order to withdraw it in cash and transfer it to an acquaintance. Thus, the victim's account is used in possible fraud or money laundering to hide the illegal origin of funds.
"The couriers who come for money are Latvians, citizens of a neighboring country. To date, we have detained four Latvians. We have detained two of them and are working on catching the organizers in Latvia," said Viacheslav Milenin, head of the Serious Crimes Department of the Pyhya Prefecture.
According to a police official, mediating or helping to mediate with unknown money can lead to a criminal offense.
According to the Penal Code, participation in money laundering schemes can be punished with a fine or up to five years imprisonment.
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Cash mules: 16 detainees in 4 months; 350,720 euros seized.
Over the past four months, officers of the Riga Regional State Police Department have detained 16 money mules linked to phone fraud. Eight people were placed under arrest, and 350,720 euros were seized in criminal proceedings, most likely acquired by criminal means, the police said.
In addition, money mules are detained weekly by the cybercrime department of the State Police, and other departments are also working in this direction. Given that scammers mostly call from countries outside the European Union, law enforcement officers work in cooperation with foreign colleagues.
A money mule is a person who, for a fee, uses their personal account to transfer money to other accounts on behalf of other people or collects cash.
The organizers of such crimes are international criminal groups that create fraudulent call centers with many employees, each with its own specific function. Fraudulent call centers use number substitution technologies — there are cases when even the phone numbers of the police and banks were used.
By psychologically influencing victims and posing as bank employees, police, Google representatives, etc., fraudsters try to convince the interlocutor that their money is under threat. Often, criminals communicate via Whatsapp, where a fake profile is created, and as an avatar, for example, a bank logo or a photo of a high-ranking official is used to inspire confidence. For greater accuracy, various forged documents are sent, for example, a fake service certificate of the head of the State Police Armand Roux. Scammers mostly speak Russian, but sometimes people who speak Latvian are also attracted to work in call centers.
Fraudsters persuade victims to install various programs (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, etc.) on their phone or computer to remotely access the device. In this way, attackers take control of the devices and apply for a quick loan on behalf of the victim. The loan is credited to the victim's current account, and the money is offered to be withdrawn at an ATM, given to an "insurance company representative" or similar person. If the deceived person still believes the scammers, they can offer to mortgage the property, withdraw money and give it to them.
As money mules, both already deceived victims are used, who are promised a certain reward, and specially hired people. Money mules are mostly sent to Latvia from Ukraine, and they are also searched on Latvian ad portals.
The State Police strongly urge you not to trust such offers and not to accept receiving cash from strangers or transferring it to others, and not to allow your account to be used to receive, withdraw or transfer other people's money. Such actions are subject to criminal liability for money laundering or participation in fraud.
The State Police also urge you to always remind your loved ones, especially the elderly, about phone scams and that your bank account details and other confidential information should not be shared with anyone.
In Latvia, young people aged 20-25 are often complicit in financial crimes. To do this, they only need to agree to seemingly innocent things. For example, you can withdraw other people's cash from an ATM and transfer it to third parties, keeping a small percentage for yourself. Or let someone else use their account, "he writes rus.lsm.lv with reference to LR 4.." Unfortunately, indeed over the past couple of months we have seen a trend: young people are becoming money couriers. They allow you to use your bank accounts [ ... ] for money laundering, for withdrawing funds obtained by criminal means," says Kaspar Brishka, head of IT Security at Citadele Bank.
According to him, the accounts of such young Latvians can be used for money received, for example, as a result of telephone fraud, when gullible people are lured out of access to accounts and emptied them, withdrawing stolen funds using couriers. "We have about 30 cases in a couple of months when our young people participate in such schemes. Probably, without fully realizing the risks associated with this, " he states.
If you open an account for someone else. According to Inese Ratfeldere, head of the First Department of the State Police Department for Combating Economic Crimes, if a person "simply" opened an account and transferred access to it, an article can be applied for misleading about who the real user of funds is. The penalty is up to one year of imprisonment in general, but it can be up to two years.
What is the risk for "laundering" in the group. But there is also a penalty for legalizing money obtained by criminal means ("laundering"). For" just " legalization, the guilty person can be jailed for up to 4 years, if this happens in a group by prior agreement — up to 5 years. "In the case of an organized group and large size, it is from 3 to 15 years. And you should always remember that if someone asked (and it's always someone who asked), then you are no longer alone. That is, this student is no longer alone - it is already a group. And practice shows that there is never limited to two participants, there is always organized crime. And this means that most likely the punishment will be from 3 to 15 years, " I. Ratfelde describes, than the "money mules"risk.
"What should I do if a person realizes that they are participating in such a scheme and wants to stop? First, you need to contact your bank and inform them that this has happened. You must stop transferring funds and other actions with the account. You also need to inform the police, so that if there is already an investigation, mitigate the blame, so that it is taken into account that the person informed the police himself," advises K. Brishka.
---
Launder operations: how to punish money "mules"
In the Latvian Economic Court, almost half of the criminal cases are related to money laundering involving so-called "money mules". These are mostly young people under the age of 25 who, for the sake of quick and easy profit, agreed to "help a little".
Work as a "money transfer agent"
Last year, the State Police launched more than 50 cases against "money mules". At the same time, as stated by the police, the suspects did not always understand what they were threatened by this work.
They agreed to seemingly innocent things. For example, you can withdraw other people's cash from an ATM and transfer it to third parties, keeping a small percentage for yourself. Or let someone else use your account.
Most often, recruiters find their victims in social networks or instant messengers, for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, VK.
It all starts with a job offer at home with the opportunity to earn "good, quick and easy money". This is often referred to as working as a "money transfer agent" or "money transfer agent".
However, as Inese Ratfeldere, head of the First Department of the State Police Department for Combating Economic Crimes, previously explained to journalists, if a person "simply" opened an account and transferred access to it, an article can already be applied to him for misleading about who the real user of funds is. The penalty is up to one year of imprisonment in general, but it can be up to two years.
"In the case of an organized group and large size, it is from 3 to 15 years. And you should always remember that if someone asked (and it's always someone who asked), then you are no longer alone. That is, this student is no longer alone - it is already a group. And practice shows that there is never limited to two participants, there is always organized crime. And this means that most likely the sentence will be from 3 to 15 years."
How many "mules" are already on trial
According to the judicial administration, the Economic Affairs Court received 91 criminal cases in the first nine months of its activity, that is, from March 31, 2021.
Of these, 74 or 81% are cases qualified under Article 195 of the Criminal Law and concern the legalization of funds obtained by criminal means.
At the same time, out of all "washing" cases, "money mules" make up 39%, the portal indicates Lv.lv with reference to the President of the Economic Affairs Court, Indra Pumpure.
So far, in four cases, three years ' imprisonment has been applied, in one-for a year and 2 months, and in two more-for 6 months and 4 months. In one case, there was a fine of ten minimum wages, i.e., 5,000 euros.
Most often, the economic court used forced labor-from 100 to 270 hours. Rewards are still confiscated as funds obtained by criminal means.
What do "mules" do?
They usually transfer their bank account to a third party. If there isn't one, they open a new one on purpose.
The participant will have to increase the cash withdrawal limit linked to their current account.
Transfers are often made at night or late at night, and most often their source is money fraudulently obtained from victims from other countries.
After the transfer ,the "mule" must withdraw money from an ATM and transfer it to a third party, receiving a reward for this.
The rewards are different, sometimes 10, 25, 50, or even 500 euros. Sometimes the remuneration is determined as a percentage of the transferred funds.
QQAAZZ Network Case
One of the most high-profile cases in which Latvians were involved as "washmen" is the exposure of the international network QQAAZZ.
Last year, it became known that 20 people were detained in several countries, including Latvia, for participating in an international network that laundered millions of euros stolen by cybercriminals. Six people were detained in Latvia, most of them young people aged 24-25.
According to the US Department of Justice, QQAAZZ members colluded with cybercriminals around the world to launder money stolen from computer fraud victims in the United States and other countries. More than 40 searches were conducted in Latvia, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, and criminal prosecutions were initiated in the United States, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The QQAAZZ network has opened and maintained hundreds of corporate and personal bank accounts with financial institutions around the world. It received money from cybercriminals who stole it from victims ' bank accounts. The funds were then transferred to other bank accounts controlled by QQAAZZ. Sometimes they were converted into cryptocurrency using services designed to hide the original source of funds. For the legalization of shadow capital, QQAAZZ allegedly charged its cybercriminal clients a commission of 40-50% of the transaction amount.
The State Police Department for Combating Cybercrime, for its part, reported that the six criminals detained in Latvia had a total of 4.5 million euros in circulation. These funds were held through the accounts of fictitious firms. The arrest was carried out in cooperation with the FBI, Europol and Portuguese law enforcement agencies.
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Network of 90 "money mules" uncovered in Latvia: 14 people detained
In Latvia, the largest network for the legalization of stolen money - "money mules" - has been revealed. Yesterday, the specialized prosecutor's Office for organized crime and other crimes announced that a group of 14 people, including a German citizen, was brought to justice. In total, more than 90 people aged 16-20 were involved in the activities of the" laundry", whose accounts received stolen money. Many of them are underage teenagers.
According to the investigation, the criminal group "laundered" in Latvia more than half a million-555,600 euros stolen from residents of Germany.
The bank noticed strange transfers
The criminal trial on suspicion of large-scale money laundering was launched two and a half years ago. Then employees of one of the Latvian banks noticed regular and suspicious receipts from Germany to their clients ' accounts.
Apparently, many thefts occurred in the same way as in Latvia — when people get phone calls from scammers and introduce themselves as "bank employees". During the conversation, they gain access to the bank data of "customers" and steal money from the account. Then this money was transferred via instant payments to Latvian accounts, " Ruslan Grigs, a representative of the state police, told reporters.
This was the job of the "money mules", who received ZIB payments to their bank accounts mainly from German citizens. Funds deposited into their accounts were immediately withdrawn in cash, mostly at midnight.
Victims who discovered that their accounts were empty usually tried to cancel outgoing money transactions the next day, but given that the organizers of the criminal group ensured that these funds were immediately withdrawn from the "money mule" account, only a small percentage of victims managed to intercept and return the withdrawn funds.
After analyzing the data, it was concluded that about 30 such crimes were committed within one month, and it was estimated that the criminal group has been active in Latvia since at least September 2019.
How much did the "mules" get
The withdrawal of money took place in an organized manner, each member of the criminal group had its own role, " the state police reports.
For one transfer, young people received from 100 to 250 euros.
Criminals searched for " money mules "and recruited them" for part-time work " on the Internet. They also attracted students - schoolchildren, students.
Usually, offers to earn easy money are distributed in social networks, in applications for communication.
Mule transfers its bank account to a third party. If there isn't one, it opens a new one on purpose. After the transfer ,the "mule" must transfer the money to a third party, receiving a reward for this. (For more information about this work, see the chapter " What articles usually include "mules").
According to the police, 13 members of an organized criminal group who recruited "money mules" were detained back in April 2020.
The leader of the criminal group, who lived in Germany, was detained in May this year on the basis of a European arrest warrant.
Recently, the German side issued a detainee for criminal prosecution in Latvia. The responsibility of each member of the group, including the "money mules", will be assessed by the court in separate criminal cases.
Police: "mules" will block their own accounts
Given the number of young people who have agreed to participate in money laundering, the state police issued another warning this week: such actions can lead to criminal liability with all the consequences that follow.
One of the accompanying problems: there will be difficulties in further everyday life, as banks close accounts and access to Internet banking for "laundering".
This means that the young person will not have a bank account to which his salary will be transferred, and, accordingly, he will not be able to make non-cash payments, pay for purchases with a card, or make purchases in online stores. They will also have limited access to various Internet services (wherever authorization occurs through a bank), including in government institutions.
What articles do "mules" usually fall under?
What exactly is the "crime" in the work of mules? The State Police indicates:
* if a person agrees to an offer to lend someone their bank card for one or several days, this is subject to criminal liability on the grounds of a criminal offense (dissemination of information that makes it possible to misuse a payment instrument), provided for in part one of Article 1931 of the Criminal Law;
* if a person provides deliberately false information to the bank, this is subject to criminal liability under the criminal offense provided for in part one of Article 1951 of the Criminal Law (failure to provide information or providing deliberately false information about the receipt of funds to the account);
* if individuals agree to an offer to receive funds to their bank account fraudulently and transfer them to another bank account for a fee, or withdraw them in cash from an ATM and return them with or without a fee, this is subject to criminal liability in accordance with the criminal offense provided for in part two of Article 195 of the Criminal Law (criminal legalization of financial funds of a group of persons by prior agreement);
* if individuals agree to the offer to search for and attract other "money mules", withdraw money from foreign bank cards at ATMs, transfer cash to other persons, issue payment cards to" money mules " after their use, this is subject to criminal liability under part three of Article 195 of the Criminal Code (legalization of funds obtained by criminal means, as part of an organized group).
Latvian "mules" robbed and Americans
As it turned out, a certain Latvian participated in the money laundering of an international group of scammers, which actively "worked" with the international platforms Craigslist and eBay.
According to US court documents, the criminal group lured more than $ 10 million (about 9.5 million euros)from US residents
The members of the organized group posted ads for the sale of cars, construction equipment, agricultural machinery and boats, but in fact they did not have any of these items.
Simply threw, having received money.
On April 11, employees of the Latvian State Police, while fulfilling an extradition request received from the United States, detained a Latvian citizen in connection with participation in an international fraud scheme and the legalization of criminally acquired funds. And the court decided positively on the issue of his extradition to the United States.
During the investigation, it turned out that the 29-year-old Latvian participated in the scheme as a supervisor for "money mules".
---
"Money laundering": 12 "money mules"were convicted
The Economic Court, considering a case of money laundering that was committed using a network of so-called "money mules", decided to approve the results of a plea bargain and punishment concluded between the prosecutor and 12 defendants.
The defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to five years, depending on each defendant's role in the organized group. For 11 members of the group, the terms were imposed conditionally and with a probationary period.
Let us remind you in this regard: "money mules" are people through whom criminal groups launder money. For example, after receiving them to your account, "mule" withdraws them in cash and, keeping a reward, gives them to the customer.
How the scheme worked
As previously reported by the prosecutor's office, a total of 14 defendants were involved in the case, one of whom turned out to be a German citizen, and all his accomplices were Latvian citizens. It should be noted that in total the group of "mules" included more than 90 people. (A large-scale investigation of this criminal case was conducted jointly with Eurojust).
Members of the group legalized in Latvia funds criminally obtained abroad in the course of fraud and other crimes.
The money stolen abroad was credited to the bank accounts of Latvian residents in the form of ZIB payments, after which the funds were withdrawn in "cash", converted into cryptocurrency and credited to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the organizers of the organized group.
The Prosecutor's office in this regard notes: when investigating such cases, it is often a "mule" who may not even know that the money was obtained by criminal means. However, this is not an exemption from liability.
45,000 euros have already been recovered from the accused
The agreement on the admission of guilt and punishment was concluded with those defendants who used the right to cooperation provided for by the Criminal Procedure Law. They fully admitted their guilt and, prior to the conclusion of the agreement, fully or partially returned to the state budget the funds obtained by criminal means, as well as the money they received as a reward for money laundering.
In total, before the conclusion of the agreement, almost 45,000 euros were collected from the defendants, and an agreement was reached on the voluntary return of the remaining part of the criminally acquired funds to the state treasury.
In respect of another accused, the case was sent to the Economic Court for general consideration. The pre-trial investigation is continuing in relation to the other accused.
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How Latvian money "mules" got caught in Estonia
Recently, cases have become more frequent when conscientious people transfer money from abroad to their bank accounts and give them to a stranger in cash, thereby contributing to the commission of a crime.Postimees with reference to the newspaper Pealinn.
An excuse is, for example, the provision of a service when the victim is asked to help transfer money. It is alleged that the person does not have an account in Estonia, and someone transfers money to the victim's account in order to withdraw it in cash and transfer it to an acquaintance. Thus, the victim's account is used in possible fraud or money laundering to hide the illegal origin of funds.
"The couriers who come for money are Latvians, citizens of a neighboring country. To date, we have detained four Latvians. We have detained two of them and are working on catching the organizers in Latvia," said Viacheslav Milenin, head of the Serious Crimes Department of the Pyhya Prefecture.
According to a police official, mediating or helping to mediate with unknown money can lead to a criminal offense.
According to the Penal Code, participation in money laundering schemes can be punished with a fine or up to five years imprisonment.
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Cash mules: 16 detainees in 4 months; 350,720 euros seized.
Over the past four months, officers of the Riga Regional State Police Department have detained 16 money mules linked to phone fraud. Eight people were placed under arrest, and 350,720 euros were seized in criminal proceedings, most likely acquired by criminal means, the police said.
In addition, money mules are detained weekly by the cybercrime department of the State Police, and other departments are also working in this direction. Given that scammers mostly call from countries outside the European Union, law enforcement officers work in cooperation with foreign colleagues.
A money mule is a person who, for a fee, uses their personal account to transfer money to other accounts on behalf of other people or collects cash.
The organizers of such crimes are international criminal groups that create fraudulent call centers with many employees, each with its own specific function. Fraudulent call centers use number substitution technologies — there are cases when even the phone numbers of the police and banks were used.
By psychologically influencing victims and posing as bank employees, police, Google representatives, etc., fraudsters try to convince the interlocutor that their money is under threat. Often, criminals communicate via Whatsapp, where a fake profile is created, and as an avatar, for example, a bank logo or a photo of a high-ranking official is used to inspire confidence. For greater accuracy, various forged documents are sent, for example, a fake service certificate of the head of the State Police Armand Roux. Scammers mostly speak Russian, but sometimes people who speak Latvian are also attracted to work in call centers.
Fraudsters persuade victims to install various programs (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, etc.) on their phone or computer to remotely access the device. In this way, attackers take control of the devices and apply for a quick loan on behalf of the victim. The loan is credited to the victim's current account, and the money is offered to be withdrawn at an ATM, given to an "insurance company representative" or similar person. If the deceived person still believes the scammers, they can offer to mortgage the property, withdraw money and give it to them.
As money mules, both already deceived victims are used, who are promised a certain reward, and specially hired people. Money mules are mostly sent to Latvia from Ukraine, and they are also searched on Latvian ad portals.
The State Police strongly urge you not to trust such offers and not to accept receiving cash from strangers or transferring it to others, and not to allow your account to be used to receive, withdraw or transfer other people's money. Such actions are subject to criminal liability for money laundering or participation in fraud.
The State Police also urge you to always remind your loved ones, especially the elderly, about phone scams and that your bank account details and other confidential information should not be shared with anyone.
