The campaign officially launched this week with a video to mark International Fraud Awareness Week
- Elevate Her UK, a London-based charity supporting young women and girls is collaborating with Snapchat and Barclays Bank
- Inspired by the personal experience of its London-born leader Ebony King who was wrongly convicted of money laundering after being repaid a loan that she was unaware came from criminal activities.
- King hit national print headlines recently to share her personal story, appearing in the Metro and others.
- Barclays warns of 23 per cent surge in student money mules
When you lend a family friend £50, you don’t expect to have your home raided by police and be hit with a criminal record – that would take 12 years to clear.
Well, that is what happened to Ebony King, CEO and founder of Elevate Her UK, a London-based charity supporting vulnerable teenage girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Unbeknownst to her, she was repaid money by a family friend sent to her account that was the proceeds of an online scam.
By allowing the money to sit in her account and cashing it out, Ebony had become a so-called money mule and complicit in handling laundered money.
Determined to stop others from going through what she did, Elevate Her UK is teaming up with Barclays Bank and Snapchat to release its hard-hitting Don’t Get Finessed campaign, to raise awareness of how easy it is for young people to be unknowingly used as money mules.
To mark International Fraud Awareness Week (12 – 18 November), a campaign video was released to the public on 15 November rooted in the real-life experiences of young people affected by and exposed to financial exploitation – you can watch the video below:
Ebony King, CEO and founder of Elevate Her UK said: Elevate Her UK is committed to using this campaign as a catalyst for change and is proud to partner with Barclays Bank and Snapchat on this campaign.
“This collaboration has allowed us to create a powerful message and extend our reach in safeguarding vulnerable young people. Our mission is to educate, protect, and find solutions to combat financial exploitation and the victimisation of young people as money mules.”
King added: “By raising awareness and fostering community support, we hope to make a significant impact on the lives of vulnerable youths.”
The campaign materials will play a crucial role in youth safety awareness workshops in secondary schools across London.
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About Elevate Her UK
Elevate Her UK is a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering and uplifting young people. With a strong commitment to education, well-being, and community engagement, they strive to create a better future for the youth.
