INVESTIGATES: Stimulus check sent to Orange Park woman’s closed bank account

Orange Park, Fla. — An Orange Park woman said her stimulus check is being sent by the IRS to her closed Wells Fargo Bank account.

“Our funds are limited. We have doctor bills and my rent and everything else,” Paula Struchko said.

She told Action News Jax the last round of stimulus checks also went to her closed bank account.

Wells Fargo mailed it back to the IRS, who then forwarded it to Struchko’s address on file. She said it was a process that took about six weeks.

“A second time around and getting the same run around that I got the first time,” she said. “It’s been very frustrating.”

Action News Jax took Struchko’s concerns to the IRS.

A spokesperson said that the only way to update your banking information is when you file your tax returns. Their system currently does not have a way to change it.

Any check sent to a closed account will be rejected by the bank and sent back to the IRS and forwarded to the address on file.

The information can be found on the department’s FAQ page.

Struchko questioned why Wells Fargo can’t deposit it in the correct account. She said while her last account was closed, her new one is with the same bank who she said she’s been a customer with for 16 years.

Action News Jax’s Robert Grant reached out to Wells Fargo and at the time of this story is still waiting to hear back.

The IRS said because it is also tax return season, mailed checks could take longer than 21 days. But a representative said it will get there eventually.

You can also call 1-800-829-1040 with questions.

The IRS recommends calling in the early morning or late afternoon because of heavy wait times.

Cox Media Group