A friend tells you they are having problems with their bank account and asks whether they can use yours to receive money they will withdraw or move on. View image in fullscreen The repercussions of being a money mule can make it difficult to get credit – such as a mobile phone contract, says Santander. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PABeing asked to give anyone access to your account is a red flag, as is being asked to transfer money you know nothing about. “It’s facilitating money laundering.”Fraud detection and bank controls mean that being a money mule is a short-term prospect, she says, but the repercussions can be lengthy. “The account will get shut and they [the money mule] will go on an industry database,” Carter says.