Romance Scam Made You a Money Mule?
Someone you trusted asked you to move money, and now your account is frozen.
Sources checked 2026-09-15 to 2026-10-05
How does a romance scam create a mule account?
A romance scam can follow a pattern. Someone contacts you online and builds your trust over weeks or months. Then they ask for help with money.
The request sounds reasonable. They need you to receive a transfer and send it to another account, or they say the money is for a business deal, a medical emergency or a customs payment. Scam approaches online are a wider problem: the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed over 32,000 items of scam content in the first quarter of 2025. [f1]
What you do not know is that the money in your account belongs to other fraud victims. The scammer tricked them separately and is using your account as a stop along the way. Every transfer you forward moves stolen money further from the people it was taken from.
When one of those victims reports the fraud, police follow the money. Your account shows up as a recipient, it is frozen, and you become part of the investigation. [f3]
Can a romance scam victim be charged?
It is possible. A romance scam victim who forwards money may face charges even without any personal gain. [f4] What you knew, and why you forwarded the money, matter to your defence.
Receiving and forwarding money for someone else can be an offence under Section 424C of the Penal Code, which covers using your own account for a transaction with no lawful purpose. [f2] The penalty is three to ten years in prison, or a fine of RM10,000 to RM150,000, or both.
You do not need to have made any money from it. Receiving and passing on the money can be enough for a charge. This is the hardest part for romance scam victims: you were used emotionally and financially, yet the law still treats the account activity as an offence.
If you also gave the scammer your banking login details, Section 424B may apply too. It covers giving another person control of your account.
Why was your account frozen?
Your account received money that other victims reported as stolen. Under CPC Section 116D, police can freeze the account at once, without a court order. The freeze keeps the money as evidence and stops further transfers.
The NSRC 997 hotline may also have played a part. When victims call 997, the NSRC can help arrange quick freezes on the accounts in the money trail, and yours may have been one of them. Police detected 46,048 mule accounts in 2023 and 50,295 in 2024. [f5]
A police freeze under Section 116D lapses 18 months after the order if no prosecution is started over the money. Before then, you can apply to the Sessions Court to vary it, for example so some money is released for essential expenses. A lawyer can make that application for you.
How do you build your defence?
Your defence depends on what you knew, and why you forwarded the money. If you truly believed you were helping someone you cared about, that matters. A qualified lawyer builds this case from several kinds of evidence.
Messages and calls matter most. Save every message, call log, photo and email you exchanged with the scammer. They show how the relationship grew and why you trusted the person, so do not delete any of it, even the parts that embarrass you.
Bank records tell the story. Statements that show you kept nothing, forwarded everything as asked and were paid nothing for it support the point that you were a victim, not a willing helper.
What you did once you suspected matters. If you told your bank or the police when you became suspicious, or stopped forwarding money when doubts arose, that shows good faith. How quickly you acted counts.
What should you do right now?
Cut off all contact with the scammer. Do not warn them about the investigation or ask them to fix things. Anything more you say to them can be used against you.
Keep all evidence. Screenshot every conversation, save every email and keep records of every transfer. Back up your phone, because this evidence is your defence.
See a lawyer before giving a detailed statement. You must cooperate with the police, but prepare the details of your account with legal advice. What you say in the first interview shapes your case.
Do not move money between accounts. Trying to get around the freeze, or reach frozen money through another account, adds to your legal risk.
Sources
- Penal Code (Amendment) 2024, Sections 424A, 424B, 424C
- Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) 2024, Section 116D
- Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA)
- MCMC, Press Releases on Scam Statistics
- Low & Partners, “Keldai Accounts: When Helping a Friend Becomes a Criminal Offence” (2024)
Need a Lawyer for Your Frozen Account Case?
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How does a romance scam turn me into a mule?
The person you think you are in a relationship with asks you to receive money and send it on to another account. The money really comes from other fraud victims. Once you receive and forward it, your account can be treated as a mule account.
I did not keep any of the money. Can I still be charged?
It is possible. Section 424C of the Penal Code makes it an offence to use your own account for a transaction that has no lawful purpose. You do not need to have made any money. Receiving and forwarding money for someone else can be enough for a charge.
Why was my account frozen?
A victim probably reported the loss, and police traced the money to your account. Under CPC Section 116D, police can freeze an account that received reported scam money. The freeze keeps the money as evidence.
Can I prove I was in a genuine relationship?
How the relationship worked matters to your defence. If you can show you really believed the person existed and had no reason to suspect a crime, a lawyer can argue you had no criminal intent. Messages, photos and the history of the relationship all help.
What if the scammer used a fake identity?
That can happen. If you can show the identity was invented and you were deceived, that supports your defence. A lawyer can also ask whether the investigation records show the scammer used the same tricks on other victims.
Related pages
If your situation is a little different, these pages cover the closest topics.
Need a Lawyer for Your Frozen Account Case?
Request Lawyer ContactFor people seeking legal representation. For general information, use our guides and tools.
Independent information resource, not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice. Where appropriate and with your consent, we can connect you with an independent lawyer. Availability and acceptance of a case are not guaranteed. How referral works