Police Charge 23 in Facebook Scam Money Laundering Case

The police have charged 12 men and 11 women with money laundering for no less than half a million Danish kroner.

The suspects, aged between 17 and 54, are believed to have acted as so-called “mules” by making their accounts available to Facebook scammers. They are suspected of receiving amounts ranging from 6,500 to 50,000 kroner in their accounts, and subsequently withdrawing or transferring the money to currently unknown masterminds.

The masterminds hacked Facebook profiles, which they then used to deceive the hacked person’s friends and family. They posed as the hacked individual in urgent need of borrowing money to pay a bill. According to the police, the masterminds used an image from a betting company, showing a significant sum ready for payout, as false documentation to suggest that the victims could get their money back.

Police: Be Skeptical

-“We always encourage citizens to be skeptical if asked to transfer money on social media – even if it appears to be from friends’ or acquaintances’ profiles. We also advise following general guidelines for secure digital behavior,” says Police Commissioner Michael Nielsen from the Copenhagen Police’s economic crime department.

At present, 33 charges have been filed in the case, and the Copenhagen Police are investigating additional incidents with the same modus operandi. The police cannot rule out the possibility of further charges against the suspects.

-“The investigation continues, with the goal of identifying the masterminds behind the Facebook scams through the hacked profiles,” says Michael Nielsen.