Tag Archives: IdentityTheft

IRS “Get Transcript” Application Hacked; 104,000 Tax Returns Illegally Accessed

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Russ

This afternoon IRS Commissioner John Koskinen announced that criminals were able to use the IRS “Get Transcript” application to access approximately 104,000 tax returns. (An additional 100,000 or so attempts were unsuccessful.) From the Wall Street Journal: Thieves used the … Continue reading →

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“Give us a tax code that is simple enough for taxpayers to comply with and simple enough for the IRS to administer, and you’ll dramatically reduce fraud.”

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Russ

It’s not brain surgery. Tom Giovanetti hits the nail squarely on the head in his op-ed in The Hill. Mr. Giovanetti notes that keeping the voters happy is why fraud prevention hasn’t been a big issue. But it is now, … Continue reading →

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It Was the Sisterly Thing To Do

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Russ

Three Wisconsin sisters allegedly decided that tax fraud and identity theft should stay in the family. They’ve been accused of filing 2,000 phony returns by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. The Staten sisters (Sharon, Tawanda, and Angela) face 22, 28, … Continue reading →

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“Ripping Off Your Refunds” In the Miami Herald

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Russ

There is an excellent article in the Miami Herald on the identity theft tax fraud crisis. The epicenter of this is South Florida (as noted in the article). I don’t have much to add to the frustrations of victims with … Continue reading →

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Old Fashioned Theft Leads to New Fashioned Identity Theft

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Russ

A case out of my old home town of Visalia, California lets us know that sometimes there’s just not much you can do to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity theft. Back in 2011 Rebekah Root either stole … Continue reading →

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FTC Sponsors Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Russ

Coincidentally (see the previous post), yesterday I received an email from Lisa Lake, Director of Consumer & Business Education of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She was highlighting the FTC’s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. Happily, this is not a … Continue reading →

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Tax Fraud on the Wholesale

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Russ

Out of New York City comes allegations of wholesale tax fraud. Seven individuals were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Some of the defendants were charged … Continue reading →

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2014 Tax Offender of the Year

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Russ

It’s time again for that most prestigious of prestigious awards, the 2014 Tax Offender of the Year. The winner of this award must do more than just cheat on his or her taxes. It has to be special; it really … Continue reading →

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Alabama Trying Pop Quizzes to Prevent Identity Theft Refunds

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Russ

An AP Story notes that states are also trying to crack down on identity theft tax refunds. Alabama will be trying pop quizzes. No, not the pop quizzes you had in school but questions related to your identity (e.g. Did … Continue reading →

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When Two Intelligent Individuals Reach the Opposite Conclusion…

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Russ

…You know there’s a problem. Welcome to the brave new world of signature documents. Jason Dinesen has a post where he believes that I am wrong about the conclusions I’ve drawn on signature documents. Jason might be right or I … Continue reading →

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