Cavan ‘no different’ in nationwide money mule crime targets

A Money Mule Awareness and Road Safety Campaign took place in the Hotel Kilmore last Wednesday morning for Transition Year students in Cavan.

Organised by An Garda Síochána and Cavan Credit Union, the event was attended by 340 students who heard about the dangers of giving out bank details for the purposes of money laundering.

Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Michael Quirke of the Kerry Division has been rolling out the campaign among schools in the Munster region. He shared some statistics with the Cavan attendees.

The term ‘money mule’ describes somebody who allows their account to be used to launder illegally obtained money. In 2023, those aged under 17 years made up 14% of money mules in Ireland, while 18-24 year olds were 44%. In 2024, under 17s are above 20%.

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt, the Sergeant in Charge of Cavan Community Engagement Unit, Cathal Buggy, explained how this is a “nationwide problem” currently, and added that “Cavan is no different”.

“We see cases of it and they are under investigation, but it’s probably a new-age form of crime from what we had previous to this.”

The Sergeant believes for this reason they are rolling out the education programme, to inform children who are “most at risk” of being targeted.

In his address, Sgt Quirke shared with the students that gang targets “are getting younger”.

“You are the target group, you are the people who will be targeted to become money mules,” he said, placing the odds that 90% of the young people in the room will be approached to become a money mule before turning 21 years.

“That’s a guarantee,” he said, adding that it’s “very easy to get sucked into it”.

In the first six months of 2023, €17.5 million was laundered through money mule accounts. While the sergeant predicts that in 2024 the figure is “north” of €20 million. People behind such crimes need an Irish account to transfer money, as this is the quickest means of dispersing it.

The most common method of acquiring this money is account takeover fraud whereby people are scammed into giving their account details by clicking on a link sent via text message.

Once a sum of money is “taken”, it is dispersed “within two to five minutes” among multiple money mule accounts.

Recruitment takes place by ‘mule herding’, and often through somebody a person knows or online. Is it often advertised as “a way of making easy money” with people urged to send their account details for an agreed sum.

“In Kerry, the ones at the start got paid, the ones at the end didn’t, all they got out of it was a criminal conviction,” Sgt Quirke reveals.

“You’re dealing with criminals here - they don’t care, they have no loyalty to you,” the students heard.

“It’s very easy for us, in An Garda Síochána to see who has been genuinely hacked and is a victim, compared to the person who’s voluntarily handing over their bank account,” he warned.

Consequences

Money mules are convicted of money laundering under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010.

The young people were reminded of the “serious” effects of the conviction going forward, including negative impacts on mortgage and loan applications, job and visa applications.

“I have no doubt you all want to go travelling. You need a visa. You fill out the application form, there it is convictions, yes or no. If you’ve a conviction for money laundering, there it is in big black bold writing; money laundering, terrorist, financing act.”

He shared that the penalty for a money laundering conviction is up to 14 years in prison.

“It is dealt with very seriously, it is a very serious offence.”

For those who suspect their account is being used as a money mule account, Sgt Quirke says they should contact their financial institution.

“By freezing your account, money can’t be transferred out of your account. That’s where the offence is committed, when the money is transferred out.”

He also urged students to report such activity to their local garda station, and asked the students to never give their bank account login details to anyone.

“Never do it, it’s as simple as that.

“Easy money is dangerous money, if it sounds too good to be true it is. There’s always going to be consequences.”