STUDENTS were duped into becoming money mules after signing up for online jobs with fake companies.

A 21-year-old man from Chichester and a 20-year-old from Worthing fell foul of the money laundering scam they moved thousands of pounds, which had been paid into their bank accounts, to others in the Ukraine and Turkey.

Police said both victims believed they had signed up for genuine jobs. The man accepted an online job offer purporting to be from a promotions company in Florida and forwarded £3,400 to an account in Turkey before his bank became suspicious. The woman had accepted an online job as a data inputter with a supposed New York City company, and forwarded on £1,710 to a Ukraine account.

The incidents were both reported on March 10 but Sussex Police only issued a warning to keep students and young people safe yesterday.

Detective inspector Till Sanderson, of the force’s economic crime, unit claimed the fraudsters were exploiting youngsters struggling to make money and get a job.

He said: “In both cases the people concerned thought they had been given genuine jobs and have just become suspicious later. This is a not a new fraud and it is an international issue which is not unique to Sussex. The last such case reported to us was a few years ago so to have two in a week or so is unusual. It is possible the fraudsters are exploiting the difficult job market."

Anti-fraud experts urged job hunters to check the credentials of online companies such as contact details and websites to find out if they are legitimate. They warn it will be harder to ensure companies which are not registered in the UK are genuine.

Avoid becoming an unwitting money launderer with these tips from police

  • Never give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them. 
  • Money mule adverts or offers can take a variety of different forms and they may even copy a genuine company's website and have a similar web address to make the scam seem authentic. These adverts will normally state that they are an overseas company seeking 'UK representatives' or 'agents' to act on their behalf for a period of time, sometimes to avoid high transaction charges or local taxes.
  • The nature of the work the company will claim to be involved in can vary, but the specifics of the job being advertised invariably mean using your bank account to move money. 
  • The advert may be written in poor English with grammatical and spelling mistakes.
  • If you have already disclosed your bank account details or received money into your account and you think it could be a money mule scam, you should contact your bank immediately.