Posted on 05/26/2015 1:20:06 PM PDT by servo1969
Thieves used an online service provided by the IRS to gain access to information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, the agency said Tuesday.
The information included tax returns and other tax information on file with the IRS.
The IRS said the thieves accessed a system called "Get Transcript." In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address.
"The IRS notes this issue does not involve its main computer system that handles tax filing submission; that system remains secure," the agency said in a statement.
The IRS said thieves targeted the system from February to mid-May. The service has been temporarily shut down.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
I feel slightly secure in that I failed to file 2013 and 2014 Form 1040.
What hasn’t been addressed are the identity thefts by the thousands that have occurred through IRS agents selling information to criminals outside the organization. This is a method used to hide the fact that IRS agents steal information they have ready access to and sell it to those outside the agency to cover their tracks. There were more than a million fraudulent tax returns filed for the 2014 tax year alone.
IRS phone scams are already going hot and heavy in my area. Two calls in one day claiming I was going to be sued. I called one back, the guy had a south asian accent, and none of the normal IRS protocols were followed, from the “this call may be recorded...” blurb to the identification of the agent by name and number. The person wanted to know who they were speaking to, to which I replied, “You called me, identify yourself.” They refused. I said I was pretty sure this was a scam, and if they had an issue with me, send me a letter like they ordinarily would. They hung up.
If the IRS used Hillary’s server, they wouldn’t be having these problems.
Sue? You won’t have time & you’ll never find them anyway.
You will have to file a police report.
You will have to paper file your return since efile will reject it.
The IRS will have all sorts of fun forms to fill out and will make you prove your identity to them.
You will have to apply for an IRS tax identity PIN every year to protect your return every year.
You will have to put a fraud alert on your credit with the major credit reporting agencies.
You will have to vigorously monitor your credit for ... Oh .... Forever.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.