BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, March 18, the Beverly Hills Police Department informed Canyon News via email that they are alerting residents and business owners to a serious financial scam involving IRS tax payment checks that are stolen from the mail and fraudulently altered.
The BHPD has identified multiple incidents impacting Beverly Hills residents and businesses, consistent with similar cases reported throughout the United States, in which large IRS tax payments, often ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, were mailed through the United States Postal Service (USPS) but never reached the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In these instances, the IRS payment checks were intercepted from the mail, altered, and deposited into the suspect’s bank account.
Victims often do not discover the crime until several months later, when they receive notice from the IRS that their tax payment was never received. By that time, the altered check has already cleared, the funds have been withdrawn in cash, and the suspect account has been closed.
Due to delays in discovery, bank surveillance footage and other investigative leads are often no longer available, making the prosecution of these crimes unlikely. It is vital to understand that once these funds are withdrawn, the loss is usually permanent. If you fall victim to this scam, law enforcement and financial institutions are typically unable to recover the stolen funds.
The BHPD strongly encourages residents and businesses to submit IRS tax payments electronically whenever possible by visiting the official IRS website at irs.gov. Electronic payment is the most secure way to ensure tax payments are received by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
If a physical check must be mailed, residents should regularly review their bank statements and examine the deposited check image in their banking portal to confirm it was processed by the intended recipient, the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Reviewing the cleared check image in a timely manner may be the only opportunity to detect suspicious activity before funds are withdrawn.
The BHPD is asking residents and businesses to take immediate precautions and report any suspected mail theft or check fraud. Police reports can be filed with BHPD at the station or by calling the non-emergency line at 310-550-4951 to request an officer to respond to you.
For concerns related to mail theft within the postal system, reports may also be submitted to the USPS Office of Inspector General at hotlineform.uspsoig.gov.
By Danny Jones