How Data Breaches Have Impacted The IRS

At one point not too long ago, the IRS was reportedly issuing billions of dollars each year in fraudulent tax refunds filed by identity thieves. Thankfully, with better information and new regulations to help curb this problem, improvements have already been made. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still a long way to go towards fighting back against tax return fraud.

One of the chief issues the agency faces is simply the sheer volume of compromised taxpayer records that are floating around, available for identity thieves to purchase and use. Record-setting numbers of data breaches have resulted in hundreds of millions of consumer records exposed, ready to be used by the original thieves or those who buy them online.

Part of the effort to stem the flow of fraudulent refunds has meant slowing down the process significantly. Of course, we all want to receive a speedy refund that gets automatically deposited into our bank accounts, but that level of efficiency means it’s even easier for thieves to get to your money first. By automatically flagging certain returns for review—especially ones that use some of the more common standard deductions like dependent children or child care expenses—the agency hopes to block even higher numbers of phony refunds.

At the same time, the IRS is also taking a close look at its own mechanisms, namely its websites and taxpayer-centric user portals. The anonymity of the internet makes committing this kind of fraud even easier, and by finding ways to lock down their sites for better verification of taxpayer identities, the IRS hopes to stop even more fraud.

Contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. For on-the-go assistance, check out the free ID Theft Help App from ITRC.

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