TikTok star Paul Black goes undercover for Royal Bank of Scotland ad
Social media sensation and comedian Paul Black is taking to the streets of Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh next week as an undercover ‘money mule’ recruiter in a new campaign for Royal Bank of Scotland.
Comedian Paul Black in the new RBS ad
Black is famed for his TikTok clips and most recently selling out Glasgow’s Oran Mor venue. For the campaign, he approaches passersby asking them to look after some money; if they say no, they will be rewarded with £100, while those who say yes will go home empty-handed.
RBS’s tongue-in-cheek campaign aims to draw awareness to the very serious issue of money muling, and encourages people to be vigilant about the ways criminals might try and exploit them by making use of their bank account.
“To be honest, I’d never heard of money muling until recently,” said Black. “But I think that’s the key issue – people are letting criminals channel money through their bank accounts with no idea that what they’re doing is actually against the law.
“Hopefully, this new campaign will encourage people to think twice if they’re approached by a random and offered cash to let the money sit in their bank for a few days. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Research has found that the number of 14-18-year-olds charged with money muling offenses has risen by 73% since 2020.
“The message is simple: if approached to be a money mule, always say no,” added a Royal Bank of Scotland spokesperson.
“The consequences of becoming involved in this type of crime are severe – your bank account will be closed down and you could end up in prison.”
