Scammers gonna scam.

A $63 million check fraud scheme tied to stolen mail has led to federal charges against four people in Michigan, including two US Postal Service employees.

Who Was Charged in the Scheme?

Four people have been charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud:

  • Jaiswan Williams, 31, from Rochester Hills,
  • Dequan Foreman, 30, from Eastpointe,
  • Vanessa Hargrove, 39, from Detroit, and
  • Crystal Jenkins, 31, from Detroit.

The two women, Hargrove and Jenkins, were USPS employees. They are charged with intercepting checks from the mail system and providing them to Williams and Foreman who then allegedly sold the stolen check via Telegram. Prices varied based on the face-value of the stolen checks.

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According to the United States Attorney's office, Eastern District of Michigan, the stolen checks included a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the US Treasury.

How the Stolen Checks Were Sold

One of the Telegram channels used to advertise high-dollar checks was named "Whole Foods Slipsss." Lower value checks were advertised on a Telegram Channel called "Uber Eats Slips." According to the US Attorney's office, "Slips" is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks.

Transactions were completed off the Telegram platform, and the purchasers of the stolen checks would then attempt to cash them using a variety of methods.

All four could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

How Big Is This Problem Nationwide?

Mail check fraud is on the rise nationwide. The USPS says scammers often steal checks from mailboxes and use chemicals to 'wash' recipient names and amounts, altering them to cash under fake identities.

 

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