The Luxembourg police have arrested two individuals suspected of acting as “money mules” in connection with separate fraud schemes reported in December.
The first case was reported in Bonnevoie on Thursday, 18 December. According to the police report, a victim was contacted by someone posing as an employee of the payment service provider Worldline. The impersonator instructed the victim to confirm several bank transfers via the LuxTrust app. The perpetrator then attempted to transfer a sum of money – the exact amount remains undisclosed – to the account of a suspected money mule to access stolen funds.
Through coordinated efforts by several police units, the account owner was identified, located, and apprehended. Acting on an order from the public prosecutor’s office, investigators searched the suspect’s home and seized their mobile phone. The individual was arrested and brought before an examining magistrate on Friday.
A second, similar scheme was reported in Esch-sur-Alzette on Sunday, 21 December. In this instance, the fraudulent attempt involved a sum of nearly €20,000. During the ensuing investigation, police identified another suspected money mule, who was subsequently apprehended by a patrol unit. This suspect was also arrested on the order of the public prosecutor’s office and had an appointment with an examining magistrate the following day.
In light of these arrests, police reiterated to the public that acting as a money mule – allowing one’s bank account to be used for transferring illicit funds – constitutes a criminal offence.
