Media Coverage
Source: Fortune
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
05.05.25
Fortune reported on a case in which an entrepreneur was a victim of ‘check-washing.’ Someone stole a check that was being mailed to the IRS and forged it. The entrepreneur did not notice until months later that someone had stolen the check, chemically washed it, replaced “IRS” on the payee line with a random name, and cashed it, stealing the money. The entrepreneur has yet to recover the funds that were stolen.
Christopher Caffarone, a partner in Pillsbury’s Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense practice, said schemes like check washing are very prevalent. “Members of the public should be vigilant about reviewing financial accounts. If they see anything suspicious, they should report it to the financial institution and to the police,” Caffarone said.
The entrepreneur is not to blame for what happened, Caffarone noted. “Blame falls squarely on the individual who stole the check and used it for their own personal gain,” he added.
The full article can be found here (subscription required).