High riskRomance

Romance Money Mule Scam

In this scam, an online partner asks you to receive money into your account and forward it on, framing it as helping with their business or family, which makes you a money mule laundering the proceeds of fraud.

Quick verdict

Risk level
High risk
Scam type
Romance + money muling
Main red flag
An online partner asking you to receive money and forward it on.
What to do first
Refuse; moving money for a partner can be money laundering, a serious crime.

Understanding this scam

In this scam, an online partner asks you to receive money into your account and forward it on, framing it as helping with their business or family, which makes you a money mule laundering the proceeds of fraud.

Romance scams build a genuine-feeling bond over days or weeks, then introduce a crisis or investment that needs your money. They rely on fast intimacy, an inability to meet in person, and requests that shift to gift cards or cryptocurrency.

If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: An online partner asking you to receive money and forward it on. Refuse; moving money for a partner can be money laundering, a serious crime.

If your message looks slightly different, check the Money Mule Job Scam or the Romance Scam DM, both are close cousins of this pattern. Every related guide lives in the Romance & Dating Scams guides, and the scam checker can scan the text you received.

A typical example

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: 'My business funds are stuck. Can I send money to your account and you forward it to my partner? I'll repay you with extra.'

This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.

The tell here: An online partner asking you to receive money and forward it on.

What the data shows

$1B+
romance scams are among the costliest frauds by total reported losses in the US
Source: US Federal Trade Commission
$1.4B
reported lost to fraud that began on social media in 2023, where many romance scams start
Source: US Federal Trade Commission

Warning signs

  • A partner asking to route money through your account
  • An offer to keep a cut for helping
  • Use of your personal account for their 'business' funds
  • Pressure framed as love and trust
  • Avoidance of meeting in person

Your safest response

  • Refuse to receive or forward money for anyone you met online
  • Never let others route money through your account
  • Be aware this can be money laundering with legal consequences
  • Report it to your bank and authorities

If you have already engaged

  • Stop moving money immediately
  • Contact your bank, as your account may be used for fraud and frozen
  • Keep all messages and records as evidence
  • Report it to authorities and seek support

What to avoid

  • Do not receive or forward money for an online partner
  • Do not share your bank account or login
  • Do not assume keeping a small cut makes it safe

You might also see

High risk Job

Money Mule Job Scam

This scam hires you as a 'payment processor', 'financial agent', or 'transfer assistant' to receive money into your account and forward it on, making you a money mule who launders the proceeds of fraud.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Social Media

Romance Scam DM

This scam builds an online romantic relationship through messages, then invents an emergency or investment to ask for money, while always avoiding meeting in person.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Romance

Romance Reshipping Scam

In this scam, an online partner asks you to receive parcels and reship them abroad, framing it as helping their business, but the goods are bought with stolen cards, making you part of the fraud.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Questions people ask

Why is this illegal even if it's my partner?
Moving the proceeds of fraud, even unknowingly and for someone you trust, is money laundering. Being a money mule can mean a frozen account and criminal charges.
They promised to repay me with extra. Safe?
No. That is bait. The money is usually stolen, and you are left liable when it is reversed and investigated.
I moved money for them. What now?
Stop immediately, contact your bank, keep evidence, report it to authorities, and seek support.
How do I spot this?
Any online partner asking to use your bank account to receive and forward funds is a serious warning sign, however genuine the relationship feels.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the

Disclaimer: This page provides educational information only to help you recognise common scam patterns. It is not legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law enforcement advice, and it does not confirm whether any specific message, company, or person is genuine or fraudulent. When in doubt, contact the official organisation directly and report concerns to your local authorities.