Financial Exploitation

Young people have been encouraged to share their bank or money transfer scheme details in order for someone else to make use of their account. Money may be paid into their account and moved out again at a later date. A small amount of money may be left in their account as ‘payment’ for its use. This type of exploitation is money laundering and may be described as being a ‘money mule’. 

In some cases young people have been asked to sell their social media and Paypal accounts for the purposes of financial exploitation. 

Young people can also be exploited in making fraudulent benefit applications which are created in the young person’s name and using their bank details. 

Any young person can be targeted for financial exploitation. It may happen to someone who has no previous links to criminal activity, or the young person may have vulnerabilities such as adverse childhood experiences and/or cognitive/learning difficulties. 

Young people may be in receipt of benefits or other regular payments that the exploiters then take away from them. 

At times financial exploitation can be orchestrated by family members. 

Many young people known to have been exploited are vulnerable and previously known to professionals. It appears that financial exploitation runs alongside other types of exploitation, most commonly alongside child criminal exploitation.

Language we see used about financial exploitation.

419 – Slang for Financial Fraud, comes from the Nigerian crime code for Fraud, often used in drill music when referring to committing fraud or exploiting children to launder money from crime / drug supply. 

Deets – Slang for Details, refers to bank account number, sort codes, pin numbers etc. • Squares – Slang for Bank Cards. ‘Deets and Squares often used together’ 

F. or FDOT or Dotters or FStars or FBoys – Terminology to refer to criminals committing this fraud / exploitation. 

Herders – Slang term for young people recruited to recruit other children and adults into the fraud / exploitation who act as a firewall to the Elders. 

Elders – Slang for high ranking OCG / USG members. 

Natty – Nat West. 

Bark’s – Barclays. 

Sant’s – Santander.