Outlook Money
The Reserve Bank of India has cautioned customers against allowing their bank accounts to be used by others for receiving or transferring funds, highlighting risks linked to money mule activities.
A money mule refers to a person whose bank account is used to transfer or move illegally obtained funds, often without full awareness of the underlying criminal activity.
Fraudsters typically contact people through social media, messages, or fake job opportunities, offering commissions or quick earnings in exchange for account usage.
These accounts are often used to route proceeds from cyber frauds such as phishing, identity theft, and other forms of financial scams.
Money mule accounts are bank accounts used to move illegal money from one place to another. Fraudsters use them to hide where the money came from and avoid getting caught.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has identified over 2.73 million suspected money mule accounts between September 2024 and early 2026.
Never share account access, passwords, PINs, or OTPs. Reject requests to transfer money for strangers and stay cautious of quick-money schemes.