Eight residents throughout Eastern Massachusetts have been charged with allegedly stealing U.S. Treasury tax refund checks totaling more than $8.8 million, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

The alleged tax refund thefts happened in 2023 and 2024, officials said.

According to prosecutors, each check represented a tax refund or credit due to a taxpayer but had allegedly been altered to be payable to shell companies controlled by the defendants. Each defendant is accused of depositing one or more of the fraudulent checks at banks or credit unions in and around the Boston area.