The Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit (GFIU), in partnership with the Department of Education, has launched an initiative aimed at educating university students about the dangers of becoming  money mules and how to protect themselves against organised crime groups.

This initiative is part of the GFIU’s outreach program, Project Nexus. 

A statement from the Government follows below:

Money mules are individuals who are exploited to transfer illicitly obtained funds and present  significant risks to financial institutions and their clients. This activity not only helps criminal  networks but also places victims at significant legal risk. With the increase of sophisticated schemes  targeting vulnerable adults, particularly university students, this initiative seeks to provide  essential knowledge and practical tips to help them avoid being exploited by criminals. 

The key objective of the initiative is to provide educational materials such as flyers, online resources  and social media content provided by Europol to reach a wider audience and explain what money  mules are, how they operate, and the consequences of getting involved.  

Through the Department of Education, the GFIU will be able to teach young people how to  recognise and avoid common recruitment tactics used by criminals, such as unsolicited job offers  that promise easy money or requests to use their bank accounts. 

GFIU Director, Edgar Lopez, said: “The GFIU recently launched an e-learning workshop on Money  Mules circulated to professionals in our finance centre. This outreach now focuses on potential  victims and is designed as a preventative measure. University students are often targeted by  organised crime groups because they may be less aware of the risks involved in seemingly harmless  activities. Although we are not aware of local students having been targeted, through our  membership of the Europol Financial Intelligence Public Private Partnership (EFIPPP), we have  access to the latest information on Money Mule schemes providing us with an invaluable  educational resource."  

Director of Education, Keri Scott, added: "The partnership with the GFIU is underpinned by our  continuing commitment to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. By  educating our young people about these dangers, we strive to increase their ability to critically  evaluate risks and protect themselves more effectively. In this context, such heightened awareness  will also help us to maintain the integrity of our finance centre."