6 south suburban men charged in bank fraud targeting military members

Six south suburban men have been charged with defrauding a bank out of $830,000 in a scheme authorities said targeted members of the U.S. military.

Those charged were identified as Steven Vance, 22, of Calumet City, Ian Myvett, 23, of South Holland, Lamonte Powell, 24, of Calumet City, Torey Martin, 24, of Calumet City, and Jermel Sanders, 29, of Matteson.

Each was charged with bank fraud in a 53-count indictment, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said the men posted on social media to get USAA Federal Savings Bank customers to give them account information including debit-card numbers and PINs. The posts often featured “individuals in camouflage military uniforms holding large amounts of cash” and promised the chance to earn money quickly.

The scammers would deposit counterfeit checks into the accounts of those customers, the U.S. attorney’s office said, then quickly withdraw the amount that the checks had credited to the accounts before the bank discovered the checks were fraudulent.