A specialist international police crime squad has successfully recovered $150,000 stolen from a Tasmanian business through a ‘sophisticated email scam’.
Tasmania Police, along with several other states and the AFP, launched Operation EMMA9 to crackdown on money laundering operations.
As a result, eighteen Australians accused of being money mules have been charged and over $2.6 million in stolen funds has been returned to victims nationwide.
Money mules are people who are recruited, knowingly or unknowingly, by money laundering syndicates to transfer stolen funds through their own accounts in order to make the funds appear legitimate to authorities.
Tasmania Police Crime and Intelligence Commander Ian Whish Wilson said the Tasmanian business fell victim to a “business email compromise scam” that saw them lose a substantial $150,000 to scammers.
“Tasmania Police also served three mule disruption notices to local residents, who had received money through online scams,” he said.
“We will continue to work with our interstate and international partners to disrupt this sort of illegal activity, and protect Tasmanians from harm.”
AFP Assistant Commissioner Cyber Command Scott Lee warned Tasmanians to be wary of romance scams and fake job advertisements that are often used by criminal syndicates in an attempt to attract money mules.
“Recruiters will lie and tell potential money mule recruits that their actions are totally legitimate – but they are not,” Lee said.
“Money mules could be transferring someone’s stolen life savings or house deposit. Criminals need legitimate bank accounts to transfer their illicit wealth into and they will use any tactic to dupe people into doing their dirty work.”
