Mo Money customers try to cash checks

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Some Mo Money customers have been telling 10 On Your Side that while they received a refund check from Mo Money, they can't find a place that will cash it for them.

Approximately 200 checks given out Monday night. 

In an emailed statement, an ACE Cash Express Senior Vice President Eric Norrington said:

" ACE Cash Express regrets any inconvenience for our customers with tax refund checks. All ACE Cash Express locations are ready to cash all good tax refund checks subject to the usual verification. We want to make it easy for our customers to get their tax refund."

A Walmart spokesperson is looking into why some Mo Money customers were having trouble cashing their checks there.

Many people who have not received their refund checks have been going down to the IRS building.

Angela Easter did that and quickly discovered Mo Money listed several deductions on her return that, she says, she never authorized.

"They filed a child care credit and I did not file for child care.  They also filed for a college tax credit," Easter explained.

Easter said she doesn't have children in child care or college.

Andy Protogyrou, an attorney in Norfolk, said, "The preparer can always go into the back room after the individual leaves make the adjustments on the computer, add deductions, add exemptions, add things that may increase the amount of the funds in the return."

Protogyrou said customers should never agree to have their refund checks deposited into a tax preparer's account.

Many customers told 10 On Your Side they didn't know they had an option.

"I went in wholeheartedly with trust that they were a legitimate company and they were going to do the right thing," Easter said.

Protogyrou said while he can't be certain, he doesn't believe individual customers will be held accountable for any invalid deductions Mo Money made.  

WAVY.com wanted to know more information.  So we tried calling a Mo Money employee, but he didn't answer his phone and his voicemail box was full.  10 On Your Side will continue to update this story as it develops.