Getting money stolen from you sucks

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pucho812

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Joined
Oct 4, 2004
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third stone from the sun
Sneaky bastards. Learned a new thing today. Been in talks with the irs over my 2012 refund and me not getting my refund.  Turns out the check was washed.  That means that someone took the check at some point, and by use of chemicals were able to wash off the name on the check, then print a new name on the check. They deposited said check. When I filed a claim they sent me a copy of the check which was not my name and not my signature but my correct address. I got up to 120 days from September before their investigation is resolved and I get a new check. 

Edit by took my check at some point I mean that  some point between when  the IRS issued the check and I didn't receive it, some one had stolen it.  I thought I knew all the things to look out for fraud wise when my identity was stolen years back but washing checks is a new one.
 
I thought the USA was an advanced civilisation. Here in the UK tax refunds are credited direct to your bank account. Why is the IRS still issuing cheques?

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
I thought the USA was an advanced civilisation.
You've been misinformed. ;) This place can be bassackwards at times.
Here in the UK tax refunds are credited direct to your bank account. Why is the IRS still issuing cheques?
In the States we still get the option of direct deposit or check.  IIRC, I think they now started charging a small processing fee to send a check.
I've never heard of check washing. Hope you're able to recover the funds pucho!
 
Funds will recover eventually up to 120 days from start of the investigation . Yes check has an id number, that is how they tracked it and got me a photo copy of the check as part of a form I had to file stating I did not authorize this, I never saw said check, I do not in any way shape or form know the name on the check.

 
pucho812 said:
Sneaky bastards. Learned a new thing today. Been in talks with the irs over my 2012 refund and me not getting my refund.  Turns out the check was washed.  That means that someone took the check at some point, and by use of chemicals were able to wash off the name on the check, then print a new name on the check. They deposited said check. When I filed a claim they sent me a copy of the check which was not my name and not my signature but my correct address. I got up to 120 days from September before their investigation is resolved and I get a new check. 

Edit by took my check at some point I mean that  some point between when  the IRS issued the check and I didn't receive it, some one had stolen it.  I thought I knew all the things to look out for fraud wise when my identity was stolen years back but washing checks is a new one.
Check washing is not new but a fairly sophisticated form of fraud.  It seems pretty obvious that criminal activity was involved. Presumably they have a name (probably fake too) and account (real but probably closed) to pursue, but they are surely long gone by now.

I would also be concerned about how they got the physical check in the first place. I guess IRS refunds are pretty identifiable, but was it stolen by a postal worker, a neighbor, etc? Lots of questions still.

======
I once saw somebody in a car pick up my garbage bags from the curb and drive off with them.. Presumably to search them for data to use in identity theft... or maybe they thinik I'm so wealthy that I throw money away.  8)  In any case they were disappointed on all counts.

JR
 
Yes I am worried how they stole it too. The only way into my mailbox is with a key that outside of  me, the post office and management in my complex no one has. They way the IRS sounded on the phone, it might have happened at the IRS :mad:  I guess I should give into direct deposit but all that takes is one number off and it's in the wrong account. Some data entry person can easily  make a mistake in that department.  but I should catch up to the future
 
pucho812 said:
Yes I am worried how they stole it too. The only way into my mailbox is with a key that outside of  me, the post office and management in my complex no one has. They way the IRS sounded on the phone, it might have happened at the IRS :mad:  I guess I should give into direct deposit but all that takes is one number off and it's in the wrong account. Some data entry person can easily  make a mistake in that department.  but I should catch up to the future

Yup, it seems like too much trouble for an isolated theft... probably a postal worker or IRS who stole a pile of checks... May they roast in hell...

JR
 
We've had a small amount of cash stolen by a postal worker somewhere in the chain a few years back. A relative didn't realise sending cash through mail in todays world is not only clumsy and insecure, but actually directly against postal regulations. The bad apples in the chain know what to look for. Innocent cash letters from naive grannies all look alike. Just like the standardised checks from a government.

I'm still quite surprised US government sends checks by mail!
 
What a shame your refund check was stolen!
Never had any issue in this kind but i feel that the government steals from me!
My main issue for the last 4-5 years is a feeling that my refunds are not what they should be.
And then for every refund i got a letter asking me documents to prove that the claim is legal..or they will take back my money.

i work long and hard hours for my family but if i was alone i would work not that much!

Vive le socialisme!
 
ruffrecords said:
I thought the USA was an advanced civilisation. Here in the UK tax refunds are credited direct to your bank account. Why is the IRS still issuing cheques?

Cheers

Ian

The IRS uses checks for this exact reason so they can claim that it got lost in the mail and stall you for months on end or just refuse to give you your money completely. Welcome to USA lol
 
ruffrecords said:
I thought the USA was an advanced civilisation. Here in the UK tax refunds are credited direct to your bank account. Why is the IRS still issuing cheques?

Cheers

Ian

The US government seems to be a little challenged by websites and modern internet technology.  :-[

JR
 
I've had my tax refunds direct deposited for years - never had a problem.
I hardly ever get or write a check, seems kind of obsolete?
But ACH thefts are a real risk - and it doesn't just risk a single check payment, it let's some thief empty your entire bank account - at times no recourse. For this reason I don't have any savings in my checking account and I don't link my checking account to my real savings account, and my real savings account doesn't allow ACH transfers.
 
dmp said:
I've had my tax refunds direct deposited for years - never had a problem.
I hardly ever get or write a check, seems kind of obsolete?

Same here. Tax refunds, paycheck, you name it, it's all direct deposit. In all of the years I've used this service, exactly once was a paycheck not deposited on time, and that was a fuckup at ADP. Which was very disconcerting.

But ACH thefts are a real risk - and it doesn't just risk a single check payment, it let's some thief empty your entire bank account - at times no recourse. For this reason I don't have any savings in my checking account and I don't link my checking account to my real savings account, and my real savings account doesn't allow ACH transfers.

I'm less worried about ACH theft than having a debit card number swiped. I've heard dozens of stories about how someone used a Visa/MC debit card and then the next you know the mortgage payment bounces because the checking account was wiped out by the waiter who stole the number.

The simple solution: forget the debit card entirely. If you don't want to pay in cash, use a credit card. Pay the card off when you get the bill.

-a
 
I had my identity stolen years ago, I am pretty well versed in how to prevent that action. We had going on for a while a thing where scum would put a thing over the card swiper at say a gas station, when you would swipe your card boom it would copy the card info then when you put in your pin, boom they had access to your account. I know a couple people who fell victim to that. Sad part is most banks, etc are not interested in catching the people so much as they are returning the cash. The IRS said the same thing, they want to fix the problem but not persecute the thief. No wonder we are 17 trillion in the hole. 
 
pucho812 said:
I had my identity stolen years ago, I am pretty well versed in how to prevent that action. We had going on for a while a thing where scum would put a thing over the card swiper at say a gas station, when you would swipe your card boom it would copy the card info then when you put in your pin, boom they had access to your account. I know a couple people who fell victim to that. Sad part is most banks, etc are not interested in catching the people so much as they are returning the cash. The IRS said the same thing, they want to fix the problem but not persecute the thief. No wonder we are 17 trillion in the hole.

Mutual respect and honor among thieves...  ;D 

Fraud and theft may be responsible for a decent fraction of that $17T debt, not the full amount. They just spent money we don't have.

JR
 
There will always be smart tieffs.  I always imagine all the good that could happen in this world if only half of the smarts used to cheat people and systems were used for good. 

BTW, you should NEVER be receiving a refund from the IRS.  Withholding is such a scam.  Always owe them a little dough at the end of the year.  If you are still getting W2's then adjust your exemptions up so that you get more every week and have to pay them a bit when you file.
Hope you get it back!
Mike
 
Yup still on w2's. Funny how the gov works, If I took less withholdings I am filling out the form wrong which has it's own set of issues. I am  single with no kids, double whammy and prime candidate for withholdings even if I am getting it back at the end of the year.
 
While they won't admit it, the biggest issue is not that they get free use of your money. it's more of a psychological ploy, so you look at the IRS as this benign government agency that sends you a fat check every year, not the reality that they are returning you a tiny fraction of your own money that you paid them too much of during the previous year.

This becomes very apparent when you are self employed and pay estimated taxes quarterly, or have employees and make the regular IRS withholding payments.

Not a scam per se but a little clever social engineering that most citizens never catch on to.

JR
 
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