Check Washing Scam Steals Thousands From Rhode Island Couple

Check Washing Scam Steals Thousands From Rhode Island Couple

From The Perfect Scam by AARP

March 20, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 250

About this episode

Richy and Terri's check is stolen and fraudulently cashed, leading them on a quest to recover their lost money.

Richy and Terri send a check to their son and daughter-in-law for their anniversary, but it never arrives. After a tough year of medical issues and the death of a close friend, they open a bank statement to see that their account is $10,000 short. They learn that a criminal has stolen their check from the mail, "washed" it, and fraudulently cashed it for big bucks. This sends the couple on a monthslong quest to try to get their money back.

Topics covered

  • check washing
  • fraud
  • financial crime
  • scams
  • personal finance

Keywords

  • check washing
  • scam
  • fraud
  • Rhode Island
  • financial loss
  • bank statement
  • criminal activity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AARP

Places: Rhode Island

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