This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: More than 8,900 people aged under 30 were arrested for money laundering offenses in England and Wales between 2020 and 2025. That's more than six in 10 of all money laundering arrests recorded during the period.
And our analysis of police data points to a growing problem that is not simply about young people committing financial crime. It also reveals how organized crime groups are recruiting young people as "money mules." These are people who move or receive criminal funds on behalf of others. The U.K. government already recognizes the threat posed by money mule networks.
The 2025 national risk assessment identified schools and universities as an emerging risk. Students appear to be particularly vulnerable. The police officers we interviewed for our report said young people can be targeted because they may be under financial pressure, lack experience in managing money or be unaware of the risks of becoming involved in money laundering.
International students were considered especially vulnerable, with officers reporting that some are targeted soon after arriving in the U.K. A money mule may be asked to receive funds into their bank account and transfer them elsewhere, sometimes in return for payment. They may not realize where the money came from or understand that what they are doing is a criminal offense.
Our analysis of data obtained from 36 police forces through freedom of information requests found 14,493 money laundering arrests between January 2020 and January 2025. Of these, 8,956 involved people aged 18 to 29. A further 776 under-18s were recorded by 35 forces.
These figures do not tell us how many of those arrested were students. Police forces do not routinely record student status, so age is only an imperfect indication of involvement in education. But the scale of youth involvement is clear.
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