Two thoughts occur to me, if this is true.
1. It might cost the government more to actually check on all those millions of people who received the checks, to be sure they are still alive. And obviously, this is a shifting figure that keeps changing daily.
2. The check has to be endorsed, just like any other check. Unless it is directly deposited into the dead person's bank account, which means someone sent in false bank account information to the government. Or it could mean that the person just died, shortly before the check was deposited.
Hopefully, at least some of the people who are pocketing the money will be honest enough to return it, if they are given a way to do so.
