You’re sitting down to a second cup of coffee in the morning, scrolling through social media, getting caught up on the latest going’s on about your friends and acquaintances. You actually post a little bit about yourself, which you haven’t done in a long time.

You feel good.  It’s been a while since you’ve felt this good about yourself, about your life, about where you’re headed. The optimism is refreshing. You have a reason to get up in the morning.

There’s a quiet knock on the door. You think to yourself “who would be visiting me at this time of the morning, it’s only 9:00”.

You hurry to the door and take a peak out the side window to get a glimpse outside before you unlock it. The two agents standing on your porch notice the curtains move, they know someone’s home.  

As you open the door, they identify themselves and ask for the person they are looking for. Which is you. But they already know who you are, you’ve been on their radar for a little while.

You stand there with a perplexed look on your face, your mind racing as to why they are looking for you and what they want. You’ve never been in trouble before and can think of no plausible reason why they would be interested in you.

You let them in and close the door, and, while standing in the foyer, they quickly explain the reason for their visit and start asking questions about your new online-friend. How long have you known this person? Where does he live? Have you ever met him in person? You may even be shown a picture of the real person behind the persona you have come to love. It looks nothing like the person you’ve been communicating with. You think they must be mistaken.

The agents start asking about finances, bank accounts, mailing of packages. You’re even more perplexed now, as your mind races to make sense of it all. They have a lot of details about you, and you wonder how they know so much. And why.

Then one of them hands you a Money Mule Warning Letter, an official notification that there is criminal activity going on and your name is associated with it. The letter goes on to state that if you don’t stop your involvement in this activity, you could be prosecuted.

To someone who has never been in any kind of trouble before, this can be very unnerving.

What is a Money Mule Warning Letter?

A Money Mule Warning Letter serves several purposes. It’s an official notification that there is fraud going on, typically money laundering, and it lays out the repercussions that could occur if the activity doesn’t stop.

The recipient of such a letter typically does not know they have been involved in money laundering, hence the delivery of a warning letter. But it lets you know, in no uncertain terms, there is criminal activity going on, and you’re given a chance to stop your involvement.

Online dating is one way people are inadvertently lured into becoming a money mule. And many times, they don’t even realize it’s happening until their bank account is closed or they get a visit from the FBI or some other Federal agency.  

It’s easy to get into a situation like this when a person’s new online-friend, someone whom they feel is the love of their life with only good intentions, asks them to allow a small amount of money be sent to their bank account. A small amount becomes a larger amount, or it may start to happen more often. Possibly they are asked to open a new account, maybe allow him or her access to it.

They may be asked to re-wire the funds on to someone else, or perhaps withdraw cash and mail it to another person. Maybe purchase gift cards, take a picture of them, and send the pictures in an email.

What To Do Next

A money mule warning letter from law-enforcement will usually come with a request of additional information to further their investigation. Information about your online friend, how you were contacted, how long ago, are there pictures of him or her, what email accounts were used, phone numbers, or names, addresses, and banks where money was sent.

Keep a copy of everything pertaining to the relationship, in case it is needed in the future.

You may also need to contact your bank to have accounts closed, especially if this person has access to them. Change passwords to email accounts, block phone numbers and emails, and don’t take calls from unknown numbers.

Your online friend will try to reach you and ask what is going on, why the sudden disappearance, and will be persistent in trying to get in touch with you. It is best to cut off all communications. No explanation needs to be given, no discussion of your conversation with law-enforcement, no mention of the warning letter, no asking them to explain their behavior.

You don’t have to wait to be provided with an official warning letter to realize something is amiss. If you notice some of these red flags, don’t wait until you do get a visit from law enforcement, or your bank notifies you of fraudulent activity in your account, take steps now to protect yourself.  And know that it’s not the end of the world, learn from it, and move on.