“Mule accounts,” or bank accounts used by criminals to receive and transfer money obtained through fraud, serve as a crucial tool in criminal activities by obscuring the trail of evidence leading back to the perpetrators. One common method criminals use to acquire mule accounts is by hiring individuals to open new bank accounts or purchasing existing ones. Some mule account holders may even receive monthly payments to maintain the accounts and continue their involvement in these illicit activities. Despite the existence of legal penalties for operating mule accounts, as outlined below…

 

The Royal Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Cybercrime B.E. 2566 (2023) stipulates that the owner of a money mule account or a SIM mule number the punished with imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding 300,000 baht, or both.