money mule

English

Etymology

Compound of money +‎ mule.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

money mule (plural money mules)

1. (crime, finance, slang) A person who transfers stolen or defrauded money or merchandise from one country to another, either in person, through a courier service, or electronically.
   • 2020 December 8, Claer Barrett, “Could your child be recruited as a money mule?”, in Financial Times‎^[1]:

     Fraudsters known as “herders” recruit money mules, creating vast webs of linked online accounts. This enables stolen money to pass swiftly through multiple banks, often via different countries, before the criminals cash out the proceeds — making it virtually impossible to trace.