Crimestoppers is launching a major campaign across North West England and Wales to tackle money laundering.
Vast sums of money are made illegally from serious and organised crime, with criminals needing to ‘wash’ or ‘cleanse’ the funds of any links to crime. This enables them to continue unhindered with lavish lifestyles.
The independent charity’s campaign seeks to make the public aware of how this is done and encourage them to report what they see and hear, 100% anonymously.
The charity says that the key to making our communities safer places to live and work, is to prevent criminals from profiting from the pain and misery they cause.
This can be done by giving information completely anonymously to Crimestoppers for the charity to pass on to law enforcement so that action can be taken and those involved face justice.
Money made from crime cannot be easily spent or invested without concerns being raised, so criminals often go to elaborate measures to launder their cash. The types of activities include dealing in drugs and counterfeit goods, human trafficking, modern slavery, selling weapons, sexual exploitation and other serious crimes.
It has become increasingly common for criminals to use cash-based businesses such as barber shops, nail bars, pubs, food takeaways, taxi companies, haulage firms, and car washes as fronts. They can also pay others to be ‘money mules’ to transfer funds through their bank accounts or travel abroad with cash. Once ‘washed’, this money is used to fund a lavish lifestyle in the UK or abroad.
Detailed anonymous community intelligence plays a major role in disrupting this serious and organised crime. Crimestoppers has put together some information to prompt the public and encourage them to report what they see or hear.
What are the signs to spot?
- Cash-only businesses that appear to have few customers yet are still trading
- Shops operating unusual or extended hours
- The same employees always being present
- Groups of people frequently gathering at a shop without customers
- People regularly using bank notes of high value
- Businesses that regularly change their name, or type
- People with unidentified wealth and no legitimate income
- People who regularly travel, with no clear reason for doing so
- Loan sharks
- People who are regularly buy high value luxury items
- People who use other people’s bank accounts to move large amounts of money
- People who ask other people to hold and move money between accounts
- People storing large amounts of cash or assets
Gary Murray, North West regional manager at Crimestoppers, said: “Criminals like to perpetuate the myth that you shouldn’t ‘grass’. This allows them to continue inflicting damage on our communities and causing suffering to many, whilst they live off the profits of their crimes. Many people have suspicions about those who live a lavish lifestyle, but do not work, or have cash businesses that have few customers yet are still trading.”
To report crime 100% anonymously, visit: Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in our simple and secure anonymous online form or call the 24/7 UK Contact Centre free, on 0800 555 111.
