Prague police warn against money laundering through third-party accounts: up to one year imprisonment threatened
Fraudsters lure people into lending their bank account under various pretexts. Even unwitting assistance with legalising criminal proceeds can result in punishment.
Lend me your account, I'll pay you — then the police arrive
Prague police are warning of another scam in which perpetrators launder money from criminal activity, according to ct24.ceskatelevize.cz. Fraudsters approach people via social media, messaging applications or in person and under various pretexts ask them to use their bank account — for financial reward. The person in question then withdraws cash from an ATM, unaware that it concerns proceeds from fraud or false investments. Such assistance, however, carries a threat of up to one year imprisonment.
"We draw attention to cases where people often unwittingly commit the criminal offence of legalising proceeds from criminal activity, including in its negligent form," said police spokesperson Jan Daněk. According to him, the criminal offence consists of a person helping to conceal, transfer or obscure the origin of money derived from illegal activity — regardless of whether they knew about its origin.
Case of hotel worker from Václav Square
Daněk described a specific case: a worker at a hotel on Václav Square became acquainted with a man from the same country and allowed him to use her account. 200,000 crowns arrived in that account, which the man immediately withdrew in cash. Police established that the funds came from fraud. "In this way, the woman through negligence enabled the legalisation of money deriving from criminal activity. The court found her guilty and imposed a conditional sentence of imprisonment of five months," the spokesperson said.
Foreigners lured by employment legend
According to police, perpetrators target particularly foreigners. They convince them that they are looking for work, but the prospective employer at the interview allegedly requires access to a bank account — which the person does not yet have. They exploit language barriers, trust or the difficult life situations of victims.
Police previously also warned of a variant involving false testing of banking applications: temporary workers are tasked with setting up a new account via an official bank application and writing a review. At the same time, however, they must hand over the account number and access details — which fraudsters use to transfer illegal money. In these cases too, the cooperating individuals face criminal prosecution.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)