Child Financial Exploitation
Mrs C Boylan – Assistant Head Ethos and Safeguarding
We recently received a request from GMP to share with parents a guide to Child Financial Exploitation in the hope of raising awareness.
Child Financial Exploitation (CFE) is a form of abuse where an individual or group takes advantage of a child’s financial resources, identity, or bank account for personal gain. It often involves deceit, coercion, or manipulation and is increasingly recognised as a gateway to broader criminal exploitation.
CFE can happen online or in person, with reports in 2026 suggesting that this form of abuse is growing, particularly on online platforms. Common forms of CFE include: Money ‘Muling’, sextortion – with generative AI increasingly used to create deepfakes, identity theft or gaming scams.
Some behavioural signs of CFE may include: anxiety or aggression when asked about money; sudden possession of expensive items; multiple phones or secretive social media use; using new slang like ‘squaring’ or ‘smurfing’.
It’s important to remember that children often do not realise they are being manipulated in exploitation cases. They may believe that they are just helping a friend or ‘making easy money’.
As with any issue, it is better to approach children with caution and curiosity rather than accusation, and of course we are always here to help and support you and them in such cases.
Glossary
Deets: Slang for bank account details (account number/sort code)
Squares: Physical bank cards. You might see ads asking to “buy squares.”
Squaring / Smurfing: The act of “cleaning” dirty money by breaking it into small amounts and moving it through multiple accounts to avoid detection by bank algorithms.
Herders / Recruiters: Older children or young adults who act as middlemen. They are tasked with finding new “mules” in schools or on gaming platforms like Discord.
419: A general slang term for financial fraud, originating from the Nigerian criminal code. It is frequently mentioned in social media posts and drill music.
Trap Account: A bank or gaming account (like Roblox or Fortnite) that has been taken over or created specifically to funnel stolen funds or “skins.”
Elders: The high-ranking members of an organised crime group who direct the exploitation from a distance.
On platforms like TikTok or Instagram, you may see “job” posts with these phrases:
Instant P or Quick P: Quick profit/payment.
Loaded: Meaning an account has had fraudulent money successfully placed in it.
Carding: Using stolen credit card information to buy items or gift cards.