The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine records an increase in the number of cases involving the use of so-called drops in illegal financial schemes. Fraudsters and organizers of shadow schemes are actively looking for people through whose bank accounts they can transfer and hide funds obtained through illegal means.
Offers of quick earnings on the internet may look like simple remote work or "easy money without experience." In reality, participation in such schemes can lead to the blocking of accounts, financial losses, and criminal liability.
Who is a drop
A drop or "money mule" is a person who consciously or unconsciously provides their bank cards, accounts, access to online banking, SIM cards, or personal data for financial transactions to be conducted by third parties.
In fact, the drop becomes an intermediary between the organizers of the scheme and the money that needs to be hidden, transferred, or cashed out.
In most cases, funds obtained as a result of the following pass through the accounts of drops:
How the scheme works
Criminals find a person through social networks, Telegram channels, messengers, or job search websites. Most often, they offer "simple work" without experience, quick earnings, or "assistance with financial transactions."
Next, the person is asked to:
In exchange for this, a percentage of the amount or a fixed payment is promised.
After access to the account is obtained, funds of unknown origin begin passing through it. As a result, it is the cardholder who officially appears in the bank transactions and falls into the field of view of banks, the financial monitoring system, and law enforcement agencies.
Why fraudsters use drops
The main goal is to hide the real organizers of the illegal activity and to complicate tracking the movement of funds.
To confuse the trail, money can pass through dozens of accounts of different people in various regions of Ukraine. However, during an investigation, law enforcement officers first and foremost establish the owners of the accounts through which the financial operations were carried out.
The ESBU, in close cooperation with the National Bank of Ukraine, constantly conducts analytical work to detect such schemes, analyzes the movement of funds, and establishes connections between accounts, business entities, and organizers of illegal activities.
Who falls into risk most often
Most often, criminals try to involve:
It is these categories of citizens who most often respond to advertisements for "easy earnings" and may not realize the consequences of transferring their own banking data to third parties.
What liability could be faced
The ESBU emphasizes: the use of bank accounts in illegal activity may possess signs of criminal offenses.
Depending on the circumstances, the actions may be qualified under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
Among the possible consequences:
At the same time, transferring a bank card or access to online banking to third parties does not exempt one from liability. Lack of knowledge about the origin of the funds also does not guarantee avoiding legal consequences.
How to avoid falling into the scheme
The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine recommends:
If you receive a suspicious offer regarding the use of a bank account or conducting financial transactions, you should stop communication and inform law enforcement agencies.
What to do if you have already become a drop
If you realize that your account is being used in an illegal scheme, it is necessary to:
The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine urges citizens to treat their personal financial data responsibly and to remember: an offer of easy earnings for using a bank card may be part of a criminal scheme with serious legal and financial consequences.