Last Updated on September 7, 2020 by SCARS Editorial Team

SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS.™ Legal: Why Is The Case Of Mable Dulaney So Important To Other Victims?

Consider This Particular Case; Mable Dulaney Was Arrested For Being A Money MuleMoney Mule A money mule sometimes called a "smurfer," is a person who transfers money acquired illegally (e.g., stolen) in person, through a courier service, or electronically, on behalf of others (usually criminals that they are knowingly or unknowingly affiliated). Typically, the mule is paid for services with a small part of the money transferred - but not always. Mules may or may not be aware that they are performing these actions. Money mules are often dupes recruited online for what they think is legitimate employment, not aware that the money they are transferring is the product of crime. The money is transferred from the mule's account to the scam operator, typically in another country. Similar techniques are used to transfer illegal merchandise. Mules can be prosecuted for numerous crimes. – In Other Words Money LaunderingMoney laundering Money laundering is the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained illegally by passing it through a complex sequence of banking transfers or commercial transactions. Money laundering can be done through various mediums, leveraging a variety of payment vehicles, people and institutions.. So What?

So far there have been few money mule cases in the United States, and all of them (as far as we know) have been willing, knowing money mulesMoney mules Money mules are a type of money laundering where a person transfers illicit funds through a medium (such as a bank account) to obfuscate where the money came from. There are different types of money mules including witting, unwitting, and complicit.!

But This Case Is Different!

This is a romance scamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. victim manipulated into unknowingly helping her scammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer..

What makes it more important is that almost EVERY scam victim who sends money has committed some fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. and money laundering

THE DEFINITION OF FRAUD IS:

[icon name=”quote-left” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] a person or thing intending to deceive others [icon name=”quote-right” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]

Consider That For A Minute …

If you sent money to your scammer you certainly committed fraud. Possibly bank fraud. Possibly tax fraud.

All of these could land YOU in prison for a decade or more if you were faced with an over-aggressive prosecutor.

Why? Because you lied when you sent the money

WesternUnion and the others ask you to confirm that you personally know the other person. You answered YES or they would not have let you send the money. But you did not personally know that person, you had never met them. It was just some name on a screen. That simple little lie is fraud. So you may have committed wire fraud and possibly bank fraud – all felonies.

If you, as so many victims have allowed their scammer to send you money which you then forwarded it is even worse. Now it is money laundering and possibly criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. conspiracy.

We always advise victims to report these crimes to the police, and if they acted as a muleMule A money mule sometimes called a "smurfer," is a person who transfers money acquired illegally (e.g., stolen) in person, through a courier service, or electronically, on behalf of others (usually criminals that they are knowingly or unknowingly affiliated). Typically, the mule is paid for services with a small part of the money transferred - but not always. Mules may or may not be aware that they are performing these actions. Money mules are often dupes recruited online for what they think is legitimate employment, not aware that the money they are transferring is the product of crime. The money is transferred from the mule's account to the scam operator, typically in another country. Similar techniques are used to transfer illegal merchandise. Mules can be prosecuted for numerous crimes. go immediately because no one wants them to find them – and they will – it is just a matter of time. If they come forward voluntarily and tell the police they were duped they stand a far better chance of not being held responsible. But if they never come forward and the police find them it will be a sheriff on their doorstep one morning with an arrest warrant. That is what is happening in this case with Mable Dulaney.

In addition, all of the money that was received and sent through if unreported as income tot he IRSIRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue & tax service of the United States federal government responsible for collecting taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code (the main body of federal statutory tax law.) It is part of the Department of the Treasury and led by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who is appointed to a five-year term by the President of the United States. The duties of the IRS include providing tax assistance to taxpayers; pursuing and resolving instances of erroneous or fraudulent tax filings; and overseeing various benefits programs. Visit www.IRS.gov to learn more. or Tax Agency would be tax fraud too. Even if you never received money from the scammer you might be required to declare it anyway.

What This Case Represents

In this case of Mable Dulaney, we see an unsuspecting romance scam victim arrested and going to be tried. A guilty verdict will spell doom for other victims as well. It certainly will mean that the prosecutors can go after every mule unknowing or not, and possibly after individual victims as well.

Remember that a mule is receiving proceeds from other victims, but even if not a mule, a regular victim is aiding a scammer in other ways including financially. We do not want to see any of these criminalized in actual practice and precedents set in case law.

That is why we are trying to help this Victim!

Not just to help her, but to help all victims avoid the specter of future criminal penalties.

Does that sound like something worthy of doing? Something worse getting behind and supporting?

WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL AGREE

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SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.

 

TAGS: SCARS, Important Article, Information About ScamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost., Anti-Scam, Mable Dulaney, Why this Case Matters, Money Mule Legal Precedence, Scammer Mule, Romance Scam Victim Case Law,

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