Foreign students are selling their bank accounts to scammers and money laundering crime syndicates before leaving Australia, police have warned.
Departing students are being offered between $200 and $500 for the use of their Australian bank accounts in addition to a 10% commission on funds received, the Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) said.
Crime gangs are also paying for identity documents such as passports, driver’s licences and other government identification they can use to open bank accounts in the students’ names.
The offers to buy or rent the accounts are often presented as legal, but accounts are then used to impersonate real people or scam the life savings of vulnerable Australians, and can end up linking the seller to criminal organisations forever.
“What might look like a harmless favour, or an easy money earner can result in criminal charges, visa cancellations, and permanent bans from returning to Australia,” AFP Detective Superintendent Marie Andersson said.
“We are seeing criminal networks overseas launder millions through bank accounts belonging to young people, and as a result, they too could be charged with offences like money laundering.
“When students sell their details, they’re not only risking prosecution; they’re also enabling real harm to innocent people.”
Police are urging international students to close their bank accounts before leaving the country, secure their digital and personal identities, and never share their banking details with anyone.
“Students often don’t realise they’re being exploited by organised criminals who profit from their actions. But once caught, it’s the student who faces the consequences,” Ms Andersson said.
“Leaving the country doesn’t erase your digital footprint. Your bank accounts, name and identity are traceable by police around the world, and you’ll still be connected to any crimes to which you are tied or responsible.”
According to the latest Education Department data, there were 821,553 international students studying in Australian in the January to July period, a 0% increase on the same period last year, including 189,654 from China, 139,720 from India, and 67,096 from Nepal.
Header image: A mock advertisement used by the JPC3 as part of a cybercrime awareness campaign (JPC3).
