SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector (TTC), in coordination with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, is alerting taxpayers to a recent confirmed case of mail fraud involving multiple property tax payments.
Several property tax checks mailed to the County of Orange in recent weeks were intercepted during postal transit and never reached the TTC. These stolen checks were later found for sale on the dark web.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has launched an active investigation and is working closely with other authorities as needed. This incident follows increasing national check fraud trends including the recent local announcement from the Department of Justice regarding the conviction of a former U.S. Postal worker in Huntington Beach who stole more than $10 million in mailed checks.
“We urge taxpayers to consider safer, faster, and more secure online payment options to protect themselves from check fraud,” said Treasurer Shari Freidenrich. “We take these crimes seriously and are committed to protecting the financial security of Orange County taxpayers,” Freidenrich added. Taxpayers who recently mailed a check for their FY 2025-26 secured property taxes are strongly encouraged to verify that their payment was received on our website at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov. Those who have not yet paid are urged to use secure online payment options to avoid potential mail fraud:
CHECK YOUR PARCEL ONLINE
To go directly to the parcel page online to review your current property tax bill, check the online statement, confirm receipt of a recent payment, or make a new payment:
- Scan the QR code on your property tax bill to go directly to your parcel online, or
- Scan the QR code on this press release, then input the address or Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov
CONFIRM YOUR MAILED PAYMENT
To verify receipt of a recently mailed check:
- Visit your parcel page and click the online statement link to view recent payments
- If the mailed payment has not yet been received and a reasonable amount of time has passed, monitor your bank accounts closely
- Consider using another payment method to ensure the first installment is paid no later than December 10, 2025
PAY YOUR TAX BILL ONLINE
Paying property tax online is safe, secure, and fast:
- Pay by eCheck (Recommended)
- No service fee!
- Same day credit
- Printable Receipt
- Pay By Credit Card
- Service fee applies
- Same day credit
- Printable receipt
For questions, contact our property tax call center at (714) 834-3411, Mon – Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.