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Original poster

Am I unwillingly involved in money laundering?

224 replies

mamabird201313 · 10/08/2020 00:44

Ok money laundering might be a bit extreme but I'm wondering if I've been taken for a mug by friend.

So friend and her DH own a shop selling discounted food and during lockdown it's really taken off and they're doing really well (to the point that they're opening another shop next month) Now her DH has always been a bit 'dodgy' and she's briefly told me a bit about tax evasion, selling dodgy goods in the past etc but I've always just decided to mind my own business.

A few weeks ago she transferred me £20 without telling me, and I didn't think anything of it because she owed me money from an event ticket we'd paid for but had been cancelled due to COVID. Then the next day she transferred me about £80. So I messaged her asking what it was and she replied all shocked saying that she thought she'd transferred it to herself so could I send it back to her. (It's worth mentioning here that the reference for the money into my bank said PAYPAL and then her name, and she asked me to send it to her bank account.

Anyway, last week she messaged asking if she could do it again because she didn't have her other bank account set up to do transfers, she only had me set up on there Hmm before I could reply she'd sent me £95 so I obviously just had to transfer it back to her.

Now I'm thinking could this be dodgy? Like is she doing this to a few people and is it a way that they're taking money out of the business and sending it to people to try and hide it in some way? Obviously I'm hoping that I'm wrong and I'm just being over dramatic because the thought that she's doing something willingly that could get me in to trouble naturally really upsets me and would ruin our friendship.

So basically I'm asking if this would ring alarm bells to you?

OP posts:
wowfudge · 10/08/2020 07:54

Tax evasion is a crime and it's being clamped down on. Speak to your bank. You are not at risk of being implicated in what your friend is up to if you act now.

Palavah · 10/08/2020 07:58

What @jcurve says is correct.

MaliceOrgan · 10/08/2020 07:59

Banks have an obligation to report suspicious activity on an account. She might think that keeping it under £100 will stop it ringing alarm bells but they're looking for sudden changes in banking habits do if you start getting a lot of transfers from her then they will eventually notice and if they do they will freeze your bank account while they investigate.

GennyCrabby · 10/08/2020 08:02

I think I'd open another account, close this one and never give her details of the new one.

speakout · 10/08/2020 08:08

You are over thinking things.

These amounts of money are tiny.
If she was transferring £95K I would be concerned.

Standrewsschool · 10/08/2020 08:09

You can set up new accounts online within minutes.

It does sound like she is ‘smurfing’ as mentioned above. Maybe she is testing the waters with small amounts before transferring larger amounts.

Helpnamebabyboy · 10/08/2020 08:10

Tax evasion is a predicate offence for money laundering, so if this is tax evasion it is 100% money laundering.

One way or another you need to make sure this stops. The right thing to do would be to report to your bank, but as other posters have flagged this may result in your account being frozen/closed too. You could also consider reporting to her bank if it’s not the same as yours.

Otherwise you could retain clear evidence that you were involved unwittingly and, if ever questioned, use it at that point in time.

JoeCalFuckingZaghe · 10/08/2020 08:12

Small amounts are less likely to be spotted by banks automatic detection systems.

Tell her to pack it in, and if she does it again keep the money Grin

Womencanlift · 10/08/2020 08:13

Yes just close this one down and open a new account (preferably with a different bank to avoid questions from your existing bank).

Don’t be concerned about direct debits they transfer over very easily

And if your friend asks for the details of your new account just say no and ghost her

Luisa18 · 10/08/2020 08:13

If you are genuinely concerned that this is possible money laundering, then you must report to the National Crime Agency. Do not stick your head in the sand as you can be considered to be complicit by not acting.

nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/money-laundering-and-illicit-finance/suspicious-activity-reports

isabellerossignol · 10/08/2020 08:15

No competent criminal would suddenly transfer 95k, because it would be noticed. The whole point of money laundering is to make so many transactions that no one can keep a track of where the money came from. One of the ways people do that is making loads of small transactions.

Money laundering, tax evasion, whatever it is she should be leaving you out of it.

Womencanlift · 10/08/2020 08:15

Also don’t use the words money laundering in any text as this could be interpreted as ‘tipping off’

That’s why it’s best just to move away from it (by moving accounts) and ghosting

Nikori · 10/08/2020 08:16

I don't think I could consider her a friend after this. It's only been twice, but I think you need to confront her and tell her that if she does this ever again, you are reporting her to the bank. Hopefully that will scare her enough to stop it.

jcurve · 10/08/2020 08:16

Given the poster has stated on a public forum that she thinks she’s involved in money laundering, I don’t think you can claim the “no idea, Guv” defence...

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/08/2020 08:17

OK. Yes, she is using you and your account to hide money/profit from HMRC.

Take out enough money to tide you over for a while and go and talk to your bank NOT YOUR SO CALLED FRIEND! Report her. She is making you complicit in her crime, and it is a crime.

If you retain eveidence that you were unwittngly involved you will have saved evidence that you did not report money laundering activity when you recognised it.

So you have to choose between carrying on, telling her to stop and hoping she does or reporting it to your bank and following their instructions!

Nikori · 10/08/2020 08:18

I mean tell her on the phone or face to face, absolutely not by text.

My concern would be that someone else may report her and if they find she also transferred money to you, that you will be dragged into it.

Maybe the others are right and it's best to report it yourself.

KeepingPlain · 10/08/2020 08:20

I'd tell her to stop using your account and if she doesn't, just go to the bank and ask them about it. They'll then raise an investigation.

msflibble · 10/08/2020 08:22

I would absolutely put a stop to this and I would be very wary of her in general in the future.
People who take liberties like this (using friends for financial purposes without being honest about it) tend to have a certain missing empathy chip in their brains. I have unfortunately experienced this firsthand.

SockYarn · 10/08/2020 08:25

@GennyCrabby

I think I'd open another account, close this one and never give her details of the new one.
Why should she go to that hassle when all she needs to do is speak to the friend and say "stop doing this. Now".
Dablikeacrap · 10/08/2020 08:25

She probably has you set up as a supplier with a fictitious company with fictitious invoices in their books so it looks like they’re paying a supplier (thus reducing their profit for tax purposes). She’s making the the payment to you from the business account so it looks like they are settling a legitimate liability but the proceeds are ending up in her account. Very dodgy.

wowfudge · 10/08/2020 08:28

Just tell the truth to your bank. She's the one in the wrong and she's involved you unwittingly.

BumbleBeeeeeee · 10/08/2020 08:29

Report to your bank, they'll get in touch with her bank and investigate. Make it clear you aren't willingly involved.

despairingandunhappy · 10/08/2020 08:30

Tell her your bank have blocked your account cos these transactions have flagged as suspicious, she’ll stop

Chloemol · 10/08/2020 08:35

Sounds dodgy. If she is doing it by PayPal can’t you just send it back to PayPal? That’s what I would do. That why it will show as going back to her account

Then tell her to stop doing it, next time you will just keep the money

Oncemorewithfeelin · 10/08/2020 08:35

Tell her you don’t feel comfortable with it and if she sends anymore money to you then it won’t be returned.

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