IRS strikes back as agents make big dent in identity theft
WASHINGTON — The IRS strikes back: The tax agency reports that the number of identity theft victims plummeted last year after agents struggled for years to combat what has become a multibillion-dollar industry.
The number of victims dropped by 46 per cent, to 376,000, the IRS said. These taxpayers had their identities stolen by criminals who used their Social Security numbers and birthdates to obtain fraudulent tax refunds.
The IRS stopped nearly 1 million fraudulent refunds from being issued last year. They totalled almost $6.6 billion, the agency said.
“It’s a much more challenging time for the cybercrooks,” said Mark Ciaramitaro, vice-president for retail tax products and services at H&R Block. “All of the easy paths have been closed.”