Credit Union Employee Accused of Stealing from the Dead

Six deceased members, seven compromised accounts and $28,326 in alleged theft expose a troubling vulnerability in credit union account controls.

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Bettendorf, IA – October 16, 2026 – A former Iowa credit union employee is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after investigators alleged she stole more than $28,000 from seven member accounts, six belonging to deceased individuals, and then used money from a living member’s account to conceal one of the thefts.

Amanda Nicole Tincher, 38, of Davenport, Iowa, is accused of exploiting her access to accounts at IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union to make unauthorized cash withdrawals, issue cashier’s checks and money orders payable to herself, and transfer funds into her personal Cash App account.

According to court documents detailed in local reporting, the alleged losses totaled $28,326.28, including $21,279.51 taken from a single deceased member’s account.

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An Investigation That Kept Growing

The investigation began July 2, when the credit union’s risk and compliance director contacted Bettendorf police about suspicious transactions involving a deceased member’s account.

Police interviewed Tincher at the credit union the following day. According to the arrest affidavits, when questioned about the suspicious transactions, she reportedly responded, “It’s pretty clear what was done.”

When asked whether she had taken money from any other accounts, Tincher allegedly denied doing so. However, an expanded internal investigation subsequently uncovered six additional accounts containing similar suspicious transactions.

Investigators determined that six of the seven affected accounts belonged to members who had died, some years before the alleged withdrawals occurred.

The transactions included a $2,517.12 cashier’s check issued in February 2026 against an account whose owner had died in August 2022, along with additional cash withdrawals and money orders from other deceased members’ accounts.

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When the Beneficiaries Noticed, Another Account Was Targeted

Perhaps the most troubling allegation involves what happened when beneficiaries of one deceased member discovered money was missing. According to investigators, Tincher had withdrawn $728.99 in cash and issued herself a $300 money order from that member’s account in December 2025.

When the beneficiaries questioned the missing $1,028.99, investigators allege Tincher transferred exactly that amount from another member’s account on March 2, 2026, to cover the shortage.

Unlike the other victims, the member whose money was used to conceal the earlier theft was still alive.

The alleged transaction effectively shifted the shortage from one member’s account to another, illustrating how unauthorized access to multiple accounts can allow an employee to conceal one irregularity by creating another.

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Multiple Criminal Charges Filed

Tincher was arrested October 9 and booked into the Scott County Jail.

According to reporting based on Scott County court records, she faces 15 criminal counts, including first-degree theft, ongoing criminal conduct, first-degree fraudulent practice, second-degree theft and fraudulent practice, and additional misdemeanor theft and fraud charges. She was released later that day after posting a $25,000 secured bond.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 16. Its outcome had not been confirmed as of publication. Tincher is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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A Familiar Weakness in Deceased-Member Accounts

The case raises a particularly uncomfortable question for credit unions: What happens when an employee has access to funds belonging to someone who can no longer monitor the account?

Deceased-member accounts may remain open while estates are settled, beneficiaries are identified, or required documentation is processed. Depending on an institution’s procedures, these accounts can remain relatively inactive for extended periods.

That creates a potential vulnerability when employees with transaction authority can initiate withdrawals or transfers without sufficient independent review.

The Iowa case is particularly noteworthy because it comes amid separate reporting involving a former Oregon credit union employee accused of stealing more than $230,000 from deceased members’ accounts.

There is no indication the cases are connected, and two prosecutions do not establish a broader industry trend. Nevertheless, both illustrate the importance of monitoring transactions involving deceased or dormant account holders.

For credit union managers and auditors, the questions extend beyond whether an account has been flagged as belonging to a deceased member. They include who can access it, whether employee-initiated withdrawals receive independent review, and how quickly unusual transactions are detected.

In this case, the credit union’s own risk and compliance department reported the suspicious activity to police and subsequently identified additional affected accounts.

But the allegations also suggest that some transactions had occurred long before the investigation began.

The deceased members could no longer watch their money. The institution had to do it for them.

Credit Union Employee Accused of Stealing from the Dead – Credit Union Employee Accused of Stealing from the Dead – Credit Union Employee Accused of Stealing from the Dead

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