Theft/Property — Washington — reported 2026-06-21

SUMMARY

A California couple had a check they mailed to the IRS for taxes stolen and altered, resulting in them owing additional taxes until media involvement helped recover some funds.

KEY FACTS

  • Incident type: Theft/Property
  • Location: Washington
  • Date reported: 2026-06-21
  • Suspect: not stated
  • Victim(s): 1 (California couple)

REPORTED DETAILS

  • The California couple mailed a check to the IRS to cover their taxes but the IRS never received it.
  • Someone removed the IRS as payee and replaced it with another name, altering the check amount.
  • Chase bank initially told the couple they had missed the window for an investigation.
  • After media involvement, Chase tracked down the fraudulent account and recovered $11,000 for the couple.