A CROOKED USPS customer has made millions stealing stranger’s checks and cashing them with an “account mule” loophole.
Cops said they caught the scammer with a mountain of luxury bags and a BMW after she targeted hundreds of mail holders.
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Tianna Cosby, 24, was found with over 700 stolen checks during the probe, many crammed into designer bags and hidden in her car.
She has now been sentenced to over nine years in federal prison for running a mail and bank fraud ring that left more than 900 victims nationwide.
Cosby, from Prince George’s County, Maryland, led a crew that hijacked the mail system between March and August 2021.
The group stole checks from USPS collection boxes and a distribution center in Capitol Heights with help from an insider, DC News Now reported.
A 26-year-old from Suitland, Maryland, about 26 miles from DC handed Cosby stacks of stolen mail taken straight from the Washington Network Distribution Center, prosecutors said.
They altered both business and personal checks, then funneled the funds through bank accounts belonging to recruited “account mules.”
Cosby, along with Tommi Cosby, Sisco, Carter, and Adeduwon, recruited and directed mules to open accounts, hand over banking info, and provide identification.
They transferred and exchanged mule details and used stolen identities from victims to complete fraudulent deposits.
Once the money hit the mule accounts, Cosby laundered it by sending it through intermediary bank accounts controlled by her co-conspirators.
A HIGH-END LOOT
She then moved the cash into two business accounts under her control, one in the name of Santos Detailing and the other called Spectrum Dynamics, both at Bank of America.
According to the Department of Justice, both were shell companies, created purely to conceal the source, nature, and destination of the fraud proceeds.
Federal agents said the complex laundering setup helped mask the scale of the operation and gave Cosby room to spend freely.
When agents raided her Virginia home in January 2024, they found her surrounded by high-end loot.
Expert Tips: Crypto Scam Red Flags
Scam expert Toby Braun, the managing partner for American Special Investigative Group and Heroya Cryptocurrency Investigations spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about the warning signs of crypto scams.
Beware of a “Crypto trading platform, service or fund offering unusually high returns,” he said as these “are more than likely a scam.”
Individuals who still go ahead with the investment should ensure that “professional due diligence” is carried out regarding the individual or platform.
His second tip is to “refrain from responding to personal solicitations involving cryptocurrency from an unknown source.”
This can be via any social media platform, emails, text messages, or WhatsApp.
The third red flag is being approached by people who seem to be overly friendly.
“Many scammers use deepfake technology to pretend to be someone on dating sites they are not,” Braun said.
“Once the scammers connect with their unbeknown victim who is often just looking for a real connection, they flatter them before sharing how much money they are making with crypto.
“The victim is then lured into making substantial investments, and deposit funds they’ll never see again.”
Similarly, the expert warned people away from engaging with strangers or people they have just met if they are asking for money or encouraging them to invest.
Lastly, “be aware of anything that simply sounds too good to be true. It generally never is,” he added.
Agents seized 27 designer handbags worth $113,065 and 14 pieces of jewelry totaling $24,490.
She had also bought a flashy BMW i8 for $114,296.02, and inside it was a Louis Vuitton bag filled with 151 stolen checks worth $610,788.08.
In total, more than 700 checks were swiped during the five-month scheme, with a combined face value over $5 million.
PLEADS GUILTY
Cosby pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
She used intermediary bank accounts controlled by her co-conspirators to keep the cash flowing.
The “account mules” let her move funds without raising alarms, allowing her to stack up luxury purchases while staying under the radar.
USPS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.