22,000 money muling reports, and lessons now starting at age 10
What happened
On 4 November 2026, the Home Office announced that anti-fraud lessons will be rolled out across schools in England, aimed at children from the age of 10 up to 18. The lessons cover the warning signs of fraud, how criminals target teenagers, money muling, and financial and sexual exploitation - including what is often called sextortion. Money muling is the part many parents have never heard of. It is when someone lets their bank account be used to move money that came from crime. The young person is often told they are doing a favour, or earning easy cash, and they may not realise they are committing a criminal offence. It can mean a criminal record and being blocked from opening a bank account for years. The resources were built by specialist police officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, working with the PSHE Association. They can be used in relationships, sex and health education lessons, though they sit outside the statutory curriculum - meaning schools are not required to teach them. Guidance will also go to teachers, parents and carers, covering current scam types, warning signs and where to get support. The lessons deliver a commitment in the government's Fraud Strategy and complement the new relationships, sex and health education curriculum published earlier in 2026. The government is also launching a new Online Crime Centre to bring police and industry together. Lord Hanson of Flint, Minister for Fraud, described financial exploitation as an abhorrent crime with devastating effects on young people's futures, and said prevention is central to the Fraud Strategy.
Why this matters
Fraud is now the crime most people are most likely to experience. It makes up 47% of all surveyed crime in England and Wales - close to half of everything. And young people are not on the edge of this problem. More than 1 in 20 people aged 16 to 24 have become fraud victims. The muling figures are the ones that should give parents pause. There were 22,000 money muling incidents reported in 2025, and one in five of those cases involved someone under 21. What makes muling different from most fraud is that the young person is not only a victim. They are also, legally, an offender. That is a trap in the proper sense of the word: it begins as something that looks like help or easy money, and it ends with a criminal record attached to a 16-year-old. The routes in are places children already are. Regional Assistant Chief Constable Andy Hill of South West Police Collaborations warned that criminals are reaching children as young as 10 through gaming, social media and messaging apps. A request to move some money can arrive in a game chat as easily as anywhere else. There is a wellbeing dimension too. Sextortion - where someone is threatened with the release of intimate images unless they pay - has caused severe distress and, in some cases, led to young people taking their own lives. Teaching children what it is, and that it is not their fault, is genuinely protective.
What the evidence actually says
The figures here are solid and come from official sources. The caveat is about the intervention, not the problem. The problem is well evidenced: 22,000 money muling incidents in 2025; one in five involving someone under 21; fraud at 47% of surveyed crime in England and Wales; more than 1 in 20 people aged 16 to 24 having been defrauded. The government is investing £250 million to strengthen the fight against fraud. Now the limits of the announcement. These lessons are not compulsory. They sit outside the statutory curriculum. Schools can use them in relationships, sex and health education lessons, but nothing requires them to. So the rollout depends on individual schools choosing to teach it, and schools are already under considerable curriculum pressure. No figure was given for how many schools are expected to take it up, and no evaluation plan was described. That means we have no way of knowing yet whether these lessons reduce muling or fraud victimisation. They are plausible and built by people who investigate these crimes - that is a good start, not proof. The charity involved in the announcement was notably candid about this. James Simmonds-Read, National Prevention Programme Manager at The Children's Society, said the resources give young people a clear understanding of financial exploitation and where to get help, and that it is never their fault - but he also said plainly that lessons alone will not stop exploitation. That is an honest thing for a partner organisation to say, and we would echo it. School lessons are one layer. Banks spotting unusual account activity, platforms removing recruiters, and police pursuing the organisers are the others. Monica Perry, a PSHE Association subject specialist, said the lessons help schools teach safeguarding about scams, fraud and money laundering in an age-appropriate way. Chief Superintendent Joe Anthony of City of London Police, who leads nationally on fraud and cyber protection, said early prevention matters more than ever.
Practical advice
For parents and carers, the single most useful conversation is about money moving through a bank account. Teach your child one rule: never let anyone else use your bank account, and never accept money you are asked to pass on. No exceptions, no matter how the request is framed - a friend's dad's business, a gaming trade, a side hustle, a modelling job. Know the warning signs of muling. Unexplained money in an account, a sudden new phone or trainers, secrecy about messages, a new online friend who talks about money, or anxiety around their bank app. Talk about sextortion before it happens. Make clear that if anyone ever threatens to share intimate images, your child should tell you or another trusted adult immediately, should not pay, and should not delete the messages - the evidence matters. Most importantly, make clear they will not be in trouble with you. Fear of a parent's reaction is exactly what the criminals rely on. If your child has already been drawn into muling, get advice quickly. Speak to your bank, and consider contacting the police. Coming forward early is treated very differently from being found out later. For schools, the resources were produced by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit with the PSHE Association, and guidance is being provided for teachers, parents and carers. Because this is not statutory, somebody in your school has to actively decide to use it. If you are a governor or parent, it is a fair question to ask at your next meeting. Report fraud. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Action Fraud is the national reporting centre. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland. Reporting feels pointless to many people, but it is how patterns get spotted. For urgent support with online child exploitation, the Internet Watch Foundation can help remove images, and the NSPCC helpline offers advice to adults worried about a child. Both are free.
What to know
Anti-fraud lessons for children aged 10 to 18 are being rolled out across schools in England, covering fraud warning signs, money muling, and financial and sexual exploitation including sextortion. They were developed by specialist police officers with the PSHE Association. The key figures: 22,000 money muling incidents reported in 2025, one in five involving someone under 21; fraud at 47% of surveyed crime in England and Wales; more than 1 in 20 people aged 16 to 24 defrauded; £250 million government investment in fighting fraud. The important limitation: the lessons are not compulsory. They sit outside the statutory curriculum, so uptake depends on individual schools, and no evaluation plan was announced. The one rule worth teaching tonight: never let anyone else use your bank account, and never accept money you are asked to pass on. And tell your child that if they are ever threatened over images, they can come to you and will not be in trouble. Sources: GOV.UK / Home Office, 'Anti-fraud lessons rolled out across schools in England', 4 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/anti-fraud-lessons-rolled-out-across-schools-in-england | PSHE Association, teaching resources on fraud and financial exploitation, https://pshe-association.org.uk/ | Action Fraud, national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ This article is for general information. It is not legal, financial or medical advice, and it does not replace guidance from a qualified professional.
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