Romance Scams and Money Mules: What the AFP Campaign Found
The request was small and sounded kind: receive a payment and pass it on. The person who said it did not exist, and the victim had just become part of a laundering chain.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026In December 2022, the AFP said it had identified 15 Australians who believed they had found love and were being used as money mules, under the Europol operation EMMA8, which led to 2,469 arrests worldwide including 21 in Australia. A February 2023 AFP release said romance scams cost over $40 million in the prior year. See what people can find about you before a date.
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In many romance scams the victim loses money directly. In another version, the victim is asked to move money for the scammer. The second version can turn a victim into a person who faces legal risk.
What happened
The AFP said in December 2022 that 15 Australians who believed they had found love were identified as money mules, under a national anti-money-laundering campaign. The Europol operation EMMA8 led to 2,469 arrests worldwide, including 21 in Australia.
Those charged in Australia face dealing-in-proceeds charges. The AFP warned that people who knowingly take part face jail terms of up to 25 years.
How it worked
Scammers groom victims, sometimes for years, then ask them to open an account or receive money and forward it offshore. Victims may even get a "profit." They are targeted for bank accounts, banking details and identity documents.
The scammer's goal is not always to take the victim's own money. It can be to use the victim's account as a clean path for money stolen from others. That keeps the criminal one step removed from the transaction.
What was exposed
A partner's bank account and identity documents were requested, which turns a victim into an unwitting launderer. Handing over an account is a form of exposure that does not appear in a breach database: the account owner appears on every record.
How it ended
The ending is mixed and unfinished. The campaign identified mules and made arrests, and it warned the public. The releases do not describe outcomes for individual cases, and they do not describe repayments to victims whose money passed through those accounts.
The AFP's February 2023 release added statistics: romance scams cost over $40 million in the prior year; women made fewer than half of reports but suffered 68% of losses, or $27 million; and people over 65 lost nearly $13 million.
A timeline of the campaign
The AFP's first release came in December 2022, tied to the Europol operation EMMA8. Its second came in February 2023 with the statistics on romance scam losses, timed for Valentine's Day. Both aim to reach people before they are drawn in.
The timing shows a communications approach as well as an enforcement one. Police warn the public because mules often do not know they are mules until they are contacted by investigators.
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Key facts at a glance
- Australians identified as mules: 15, December 2022
- EMMA8 arrests: 2,469 worldwide, including 21 in Australia
- Maximum penalty for knowing involvement: up to 25 years, according to the AFP
- Romance scam losses in the prior year: over $40 million
- Share of losses suffered by women: 68%, or $27 million
- Losses of people over 65: nearly $13 million
Why this case matters
The mule angle changes the risk calculation. A person who sends money to a scammer loses their own funds. A person who passes money on can face an investigation, and the AFP's warning shows the legal exposure is real.
If a new partner asks you to receive money, open an account or forward funds, stop. It does not matter how affectionate or urgent the request sounds.
What you can do
1Never receive or forward money for someone you have only met online
Even if it seems harmless.
2Reverse-image-search profile photos
Fake profiles often reuse pictures.
3Protect your documents and account details
Do not share ID scans or bank logins.
4Talk to someone you trust before acting
Our guide on what people can find about you before a date shows how to check a stranger and yourself.
The signs that you may be a mule
Several signals recur in these cases. A new partner who cannot meet in person asks you to accept a payment. You are told to forward part of it, keep a share or buy something and send it on. You are asked to open an account for them or to share your online banking login.
If any of these apply, stop, tell your bank and report to the authorities. Acting early is much better than being contacted later by investigators.
What the releases do not say
The releases do not say how many of the 15 were prosecuted or what penalties applied. For a UK romance fraud ring and its laundering accounts, see the Guildford case.
The practical next step is similar for most people. Read up on what people can find about you before a first date, what strangers can find about you online and how scammers find your phone number and email, then review your own accounts. You can also try our free digital footprint check.
Sources
- Australian Federal Police: Love actually isn't all around (15 Australians, EMMA8, 2,469 arrests, up to 25 years)
- Australian Federal Police: When love hurts, a warning for lonely hearts (over $40 million lost, women 68% of losses)
Frequently asked questions
What is a money mule?
A person whose bank account is used to receive and pass on money that was stolen or illegally obtained, sometimes without knowing it.
How many Australians were identified in the campaign?
The AFP identified 15 Australians who believed they had found love and were acting as mules.
What can happen to someone who passes on money?
Those charged face dealing-in-proceeds charges, and the AFP says knowing involvement can bring up to 25 years.
How much do romance scams cost Australians?
The AFP said in February 2023 that romance scams cost over $40 million in the prior year.
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