When it comes to filing your income tax return in the United States, you must also demonstrate that you have no outstanding debts with the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service that provides US taxpayers with help in understanding and complying with their tax responsibilities under tax law. However, in cases where there is money owed to this institution, there are different ways to settle that debt: sending an electronic check or a payment to the IRS directly from your bank are the most commonly used, but you can also opt for the traditional method and send a check by mail, although there are potential problems with this alternative.
Among the possible problems is the possibility that the check could get lost in the mail and, if that happens and the IRS does not get it before the tax return filing deadline, the sender could end up paying interest and penalties on their tax debt. However, there is an even worse possibility when sending a check by mail to the IRS, and that is the scenario in which a criminal steals the check you got in the mail, alters or duplicates it and can commit fraud against you by running away with that money. This is precisely what happened to a United States citizen.
What should I do if someone steals a check with money on it?
Check fraud is not that uncommon in the United States. In fact, a 2024 survey of American society revealed that 45% of Americans have been victims of financial fraud. And among them, 17%, more than 20 million people, were specifically affected by check fraud. Likewise, one of the most common practices of criminals is to wash the check, which means that they steal it from the mail, use chemicals to erase the original writing and then reissue the same check in the name of a new beneficiary for collection.
Also, some criminals may steal a check from the mail and duplicate it. In this case, things can get very dangerous, as a scammer could issue a series of additional checks against a particular account. Therefore, if you have been the victim of check fraud, it is important that you report it immediately to your bank and the police, in accordance with what the institutions have announced. And if a person’s check has been stolen from the mail, they should inform the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Likewise, banks have a period of ten days to investigate this scam. However, if no clear conclusion is reached within that period, the bank may have to temporarily credit the customer’s account while the investigation continues. Finally, the Office of Consumer Financial Protection also maintains that state law protects check-theft victims if someone forged their signature. But it is important to notify your bank immediately if you learn that one of your checks has fallen into the wrong hands.
