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And she's in jail now, right? I saw something on TV about how this is a huge problem down in Florida--criminals steal identities and then file bogus tax returns to get the refund, and they get away with it because returns are automatically generated, and the IRS doesn't go back to check your filing until after the fact. When the real person goes to file their return, it's rejected by the IRS and then they have to open an investigation so the real person can prove they are who they say they are. Over half of the officers at a local police department had been victims, and in some cases it took 18 months for them to finally get their refund.
I know, right? If they have your social security number, your full name and your date of birth they just start filling in tax forms, making up income, etc. and then they file electronically. The IRS is trying to set up a system to catch multiple returns going to the same household, but it's not there yet. The news story I saw said they'd caught tons of the fraudulent forms, but there were still enough getting through that it's causing huge problems for lots of people.
Location: Just transplanted to FL from the N GA mountains
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We have friends who are dealing with this right now, although a tad different. Our friends filed their return for 2011 and PAID their taxes (they owed). Someone else came along and used the husbands name and social security number and filed and got a return. Now... the IRS has frozen their bank accounts and put liens on their property because they didn't "claim" the income on their tax return that the imposter did, so they owe 18K in "back taxes". The IRS is dragging their feet doing the "investigation" and will get back to them in about 90 days. So they either pay the 18K now or their accounts stay frozen.
We have friends who are dealing with this right now, although a tad different. Our friends filed their return for 2011 and PAID their taxes (they owed). Someone else came along and used the husbands name and social security number and filed and got a return. Now... the IRS has frozen their bank accounts and put liens on their property because they didn't "claim" the income on their tax return that the imposter did, so they owe 18K in "back taxes". The IRS is dragging their feet doing the "investigation" and will get back to them in about 90 days. So they either pay the 18K now or their accounts stay frozen.
Government efficiency (and effectiveness) in action. They're good at this, so just think how good Obamacare will be for all of us when it is fully implemented.
As for the issue of identity theft, it should be much easier than it is for a person to clear up their record when someone else has absconded with his/her identity. For that matter, our Social Security numbers should have more protection than they do. Everything -- and I mean everything - should not be tied to our social; just about every form one leaves behind at an office has the number on it. Who knows how many hands (and eyes) that passes through.
This queen of fraud is now "sitting" on a throne in jail. I don't think she's taunting us any longer. (wonder if she's a democrat...hmmm...?)
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