The job market can be tough. You might have spent months looking for work and sending off applications with little success. Or perhaps the only jobs you see available in your area pay so poorly that you would end up losing money due to having to pay someone to care for your kids while you go to work.

One solution that might seem appealing is an online job. Yet some are not as good as they seem and signing up to them could result in you facing criminal charges. One such example is if you unknowingly sign up to be a money mule.

What is a money mule?

A money mule is the term for someone who unwittingly helps criminals move illegal money into the legitimate financial system. The reasons criminals need to do this is because the authorities may notice if they suddenly start spending big, or have their bank accounts swell, without a seemingly legitimate explanation as to where the money came from.

How do I recognize it?

If a job posting seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Typical money mule scams will involve you supplying your bank details in order to receive money, and for a commission, move it into a different bank account. While that might sound obvious to spot, thousands of people fall for it because the criminals behind these schemes have got so good at disguising them to make them seem like legitimate job postings.

If you find police officers at your door, accusing you of being involved in money laundering after you took up what you assumed to be a genuine job posting, it’s important to learn about your legal options fast.