Why is a friend asking me to make multiple Money Gram transfers in my name using his money?

Question

For the past few months, someone that I know casually is sending money to the Philippines every 2 to 3 days. He mentioned that the money is going to his family so that they can use it to travel to United States. So far, no one has come to United States. He mentioned that he couldn’t send the money because he had met the maximum amount of money that can be sent.

He puts the MoneyGram form in my name, hands me the money and I go to the counter. I have noticed that he uses two or three names on the form to collect it. For the first few times that I did this, I thought that this was OK. By now, I have probably done this 30 to 40 times. My issue is that it's my name on the MoneyGram form as the sender.

Does anyone have an idea of what he is doing and why he can’t fulfill this obligation himself?

Will I get in trouble for doing this?

Answer 1

1. Stop doing this. If your friend contacts you, don't answer until you've followed through on step 2.
2. Go get a lawyer. They might advise you to contact the police and tell the police what's been going on before you get a knock on the door with a warrant behind it.

Here is why: you are almost certainly inadvertently participating in money laundering. The funds are going through you and being "cleaned".

Answer 2

Scam/Criminal.

There is no limit how much money he can send into the world, so the excuse is BS.

Of course, nobody can say for sure, but the chances are that it is money laundering: Illegally acquired cash is paid in, and the receiver sends it right back as a clean electronic transfer. When the FBI (or the DEA or another alphabet-soup agency) catches up with it, they will knock on your door, your ID will be on the transfers, and you will go to jail for money laundering. Your 'friend' probably has a dozen other friends already doing that for him, and none of them knows his real name.

Answer 3

He is doing this so you will go to jail when he finances terror with his money. Or any other unsavoury thing he wants to send money for. Paying for child porn. Laundering money. None of us know, but you'll be the one hanging for it.

Answer 4

@Palpus - While everyone here has (correctly) identified the fact that you are probably involved in money laundering, one thing that has not been provided in the answers so far is a specific response to your "Will I get in trouble for doing this?" part of the question.

The short answer is YES, AND GET A LAWYER NOW!

Besides the fact that you are likely participating (knowingly or not) in a criminal activity, there is the additional issue of tax evasion. Even if you just stop participating you are now logged in MoneyGram's records as having cumulatively "given away" XXX dollars/euros (whatever currency your country uses) and those records will routinely end up in the hands of your tax authorities where they will be considered unreported income that you will owe taxes and penalties on. You could even be charged with a felony depending on how much money in total was involved.

So even if you have already terminated contact with this guy, you MUST get a lawyer NOW and protect yourself from the financial & legal problems that almost certainly will show up eventually as a result of what has been happening.

Answer 5

I want to add to these answers, the concern I have over "someone I know". How well do you know them? If the police or organised crime/FBI style of law enforcement knock on your door, or get involved, you will go a long way to clear yourself of other than claiming personal naivety, if you can identify the "someone". The concern I have is that I don't know, from your question, if you can do so.

Your problem is that there is no trace where the money came from, where it went, or who has it now. A reasonable assumption would be that you signed everything, so an associate of yours has ended up holding it. So suspicion is likely, and your defense will have a high chance of sounding flimsy.

It's a bit underhand but as there seems a very high chance 1) there is serious criminal activity going on, 2) you're being used as a fall guy and set up by this "someone" in it, I would be a bit willing to do the following:

1. Get the guy's fingerprints on something. A phone you offer them to look at a picture, a glass, a can of soda, whatever it is that you can give him as part of ordinary conversation, that he would take without thinking, then give back or put down, and you can hold without rubbing the new prints.
2. Get a photo at some time. If it's a criminal matter, you can bet that the moment there's a wisp of any issue, or he pulls out (and you might not know when it happens), he might never be seen again. All you'll have is a story about "someone". A photo will be very useful in worst cases, if you can take one without being seen.

Then, if you contact the police or they knock on your door, or accuse you/hint they think you were a knowing party, you have something concrete to give beyond a vague description.

At which point, now contact a lawyer, who may well then say to go to the police. A lawyer may well be important to ensure you minimise the risk of issues when you do so.