State Police Detained 11 'Money Mules' and Couriers in October

This month, the State Police detained eleven 'money mules' and couriers who went to meet with victims of cyber fraud, took their money and bank cards, illegally used foreign payment instruments, and laundered criminally obtained funds. Among those detained are both young people and a man of retirement age.

In July 2026, several individuals trusted misleading advertisements spread on social networks, namely videos and photos created with the help of artificial intelligence, in which state officials supposedly promote lucrative investment opportunities. Without verifying the information, many residents invested money in the fraudulent investment platform. It was found that this organized criminal group had hired a courier to collect cash from the victims and transport it to addresses specified by members of the criminal group,” State Police representative Gita Gžibovska told Skonto media group.

On October 14, 2026, the State Police's Cybercrime Combating Department detained the courier of the defrauded money, who was born in 1959. It was found that he had been offered a job supposedly at a foreign company. He had never met his employers, communication took place remotely, but his job duties included receiving and transporting cash belonging to other individuals. Additionally, the Cybercrime Combating Department also detained four 'money mules' in October.

Fraudsters use parcel lockers and recruit young people on the social platform 'Telegram'.
In October this year, the Riga Pārdaugava Department of the Riga Regional Administration of the State Police received information from a man born in 1976 and his wife that from October 12 to October 14 this year, phone scammers defrauded them of 67,690 euros and three bank cards.

Information available to the police indicates that the fraudsters had called several times, posing as bank employees and later as police officers. The criminals lied that criminal activities were taking place in the bank account and someone wanted to take out a loan in their name, so cash and bank cards had to be sent to the police so that the criminals could not access them. Believing the fraudsters, the victims used parcel locker services to send their bank cards to the fraudsters, and they also withdrew cash from bank accounts, which they also sent via parcel lockers.

Law enforcement urges residents not to agree to job offers that involve receiving, transporting, or handing over other people's money without a clear and verifiable legal basis - such signs clearly indicate the laundering of criminally obtained funds.