Houston-area woman says check washing scheme cost her more than $12,000 after mailing tax payment

A Spring Valley Village woman says a property tax check was washed after she dropped it at a Memorial-area post office, costing her more than $12,000.

SPRING VALLEY VILLAGE, Texas — A Spring Valley Village woman says she lost more than $12,000 meant for the Spring Branch ISD after her property tax check was allegedly stolen and altered in a potential check washing scheme.

The woman told KHOU 11 the check was dropped off in person at the Town and Country post office in the Memorial City area. She learned there may be other victims after discussing the incident with friends.

At a post office in the Spring Branch area, customers like Kristina Vallee say they try to take precautions when mailing important payments.

“You think you’re doing the right thing by walking it into the post office, and not just dropping it in a box somewhere,” Vallee said.

She said the problem came to light when her husband checked their bank account on Friday to see if their property tax payment had cleared.

“It was kind of a panic. What else have they gotten into from our checking account? You just don’t know how far it could go,” she said.

After discovering the issue, Vallee said they spent hours trying to secure their accounts and protect their personal information.

“The bank was very cooperative, they were really great, they handled it well, and said you know, we filed all the fraudulent claims and charges right then,” she said.

KHOU 11 reached out to the U.S. Postal Service for comment. Officials did not immediately respond to questions but asked for Vallee’s contact information to follow up.

Consumer groups say there are ways to reduce the risk of check washing. The American Banking Association recommends using pens with indelible black ink when writing checks and avoiding blank spaces on payee or amount lines. They also recommend avoiding putting other personal information on the check.

Vallee said the experience has left her feeling exposed.

“You feel very vulnerable, you hope and pray that they don’t keep our address because the address is on the check, so obviously your home can be at risk, but you know you just want to make sure that it’s taken care of,” she said.

KHOU 11 also reached out to Spring Branch ISD to see whether the district is aware of the situation but had not received a response as of publication.

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