Spain takes part in a police operation to fight money laundering, with 422 arrests around the world

Operation 'EMMA 6', in which 26 countries and Europol took part, unfolded between September and November 2020, for the sixth straight year, and included support from the European Banking Federation (EBF), FinTech FinCrime Exchange, Interpol and Western Union.

During the operation, 1,529 criminal investigations were opened. In addition, 4,942 fraudulent money transactions were identified, thanks to support from the private sector, which included more than 500 banks and financial institutions, averting a total economic loss estimated at 33.5 million euros.

Aside from Spain, Operation 'EMMA 6' included the participation of police authorities from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Moldavia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovenia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This week, Europol and EU police authorities, together with international partners and financial institutions, launched the campaign #DontBeaMule to raise public awareness on the risks of becoming a victim of money mule organisations.

The campaign seeks to inform the public on how these criminals operate, how to protect oneself and what to do if you find yourself involved in one of these situations.

"Money mules"

"Money mules" are individuals who, often unknowingly, have been recruited by criminal organisations as agents to launder money to hide the origin of money acquired from illegal gains. The mules transfer stolen funds between accounts, often in different countries, in the name of others, without knowing that they are participating in criminal activities and deceived by the promise of earning easy money. In exchange, they receive a commission for their services.

Although the mules are recruited through a variety of procedures, such as direct contact or by electronic mail, criminals are increasingly resorting to social media to recruit new accomplices, through announcements of false jobs, online pop-up ads and instant messaging applications.

Although some cases related to COVID-19 have been reported, the direct transfer of funds, authorised payment fraud, and scams through supposed sentimental relationships that require economic support continue to be the most common schemes. The use of cryptocurrency by these money mules is also on the rise.

Non official translation