Media Articles
IRS Releases the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2013
IR-2013-33, March 26, 2013 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud. The Dirty Dozen listing, compiled…
Brevard County Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme and Aggravated Identity Theft
U.S. Attorney’s Office September 23, 2013 ORLANDO, FL—U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell today sentenced Abdul Cunningham (38, Rockledge) to 12 years in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Cunningham to pay restitution in the amount of $560,731.00. As part of his sentence, the…
IRS Lags in Program to Spot Tax Refund Fraud: Watchdog
WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:15pm EDT (Reuters) – The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is lagging in efforts to upgrade a key software program needed to prevent the burgeoning problem of tax refund fraud schemes, the agency’s watchdog said on Monday. Facing an estimated $5 billion a year in…
Identity Theft and the Top 12 Tax Scams of 2013
by Peter O’Dowd Marketplace Morning Report for Monday, April 15, 2013 Every tax season the Internal Revenue Service puts out a list called the "Dirty Dozen" which ranks the worst tax schemes of the year. In 2013, identity theft is the dirtiest of them all. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General…
IRS Told to Do More to Curb Identity Theft Fraud ‘Epidemic’
By Charles S. Clark August 5, 2013 Tax fraud by identity thieves is on the rise, and the Internal Revenue Service should respond by beefing up enforcement and do more to make victims whole, a House panel was told on Friday. The House Oversight and Government Reform operations subcommittee hearing…
7 More Mississippians Indicted for Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud
Jul. 26, 2013 Written by The Clarion-Ledger Seven more Mississippians have been indicted on stolen identity tax refund fraud for allegedly filing tax returns with someone else’s identity in order to get fraudulent refunds. Stolen identity refund fraud occurs when a person, without permission, uses a legitimate taxpayer’s identity to…
Video: Identity Theft and Tax Fraud
August 2, 2013 Parts one and two of the hearing on Identity Theft and Tax Fraud held August 2, 2013 before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Operations. Part 1: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/event/222562 Part 2: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/314361-101
IRS exposed Social Security numbers of tens of thousands of political donors
July 9, 2013 The Internal Revenue Service inadvertently exposed the Social Security numbers of tens of thousands of individuals online who donated money to tax-exempt organizations involved in political activities. For reasons of political transparency, the IRS posts information filed by the organizations, which are required to report their contributors…
SC Opens Bidding for Identity Theft Protection Contract
by ADAM BEAM — abeam@thestate.com COLUMBIA, SC — At the beginning of July, someone spent $600 at a Michaels craft store in Michigan, using the debit card of a Hartsville attorney. The only problem? That attorney never has shopped at a Michaels or been to Michigan. Her identity had been…
The Taxpayer Protection Program Improves Identity Theft Detection; However, Case Processing Controls Need to Be Improved
June 21, 2013 Reference Number: 2013-40-062 The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) issued a new audit report on July 17, 2013. TIGTA initiated its audit to evaluate whether the Taxpayer Protection Program helped the IRS effectively assist taxpayers and resolve identity theft cases. The Taxpayer Protection Program reviews tax…
We’re still No. 1 spot for identity theft
Congresswoman meets with software execs to understand growing issue By Donna Gehrke-White Staff writer U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel met Monday afternoon with Boca Raton software executives to gain insight into the burgeoning identity theft problem that has affected many of her constituents. Frankel’s office has been flooded with calls from…
Woman pleads to ID thefts
Former hospital worker admits selling patient information to Broward fraud ring By Paula McMahon Staff writer A South Florida hospital worker who stole more than 800 patients’ Social Security numbers and sold them to a multimillion-dollar tax fraud ring, pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy Monday. Betty Cole,…
