Posted on 08/03/2015 10:40:26 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
For a very fat fee, South Florida check-cashing businesses have routinely turned a blind eye to criminals who use fake IDs to cash millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained tax-refund checks from the U.S. Treasury Department, authorities say.
Case in point: A Homestead-area man convicted of cashing thousands of fraudulent tax-refund checks totaling $12 million.
Now, the government hopes to put an end to the racket by requiring 760 check cashers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to obtain additional personal information from all customers if they want to cash a refund check in excess of $1,000.
The check-cashing crackdown — which takes effect Monday and is the first in the nation — aims to help the Internal Revenue Service punish bad businesses and save taxpayers millions. It’s being imposed during the off-tax season because that is when criminals often try to cash ill-gotten refund checks issued in other people’s stolen names.
“We are putting the check cashers on notice that if they continue to do this, they will be prosecuted,” said Kelly Jackson, special agent in charge of IRS criminal investigations in South Florida. “We hope to stop the bad people and put them in jail and protect tax revenue.”
Among the new requirements: a copy of the customer’s identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, matching the name on the refund check. Also required: a digital photo taken of the customer at the time of the transaction that matches the one on the ID and the customer’s phone number.
Already required under state law: the customer’s thumbprint recorded on the check. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
New requirements: a copy of the customer’s identification, such as a driver’s license.
But not for voting how democrat party of them.
Florida PING
BS. For people in tough economic situations, bank fees are far worse than these check cashing centers, and that's if they even have the minimum balance to have an account.
Quite a few years ago, my wallet was stolen so I had to cancel all credit cards and freeze everything for awhile. The cash checking store was absolutely my salvation to have access to credit and cash without attaching to my other accounts.
Whatever happened to freedom of choice?
“But not for voting how democrat party of them.”
But YES for voting.
I expected that to happen. Right after I learned that they would put your ass in jail if you took more of your money out of your account that they thought that you should. I wondered what their next move would be. But, this is what the majority of voters voted for. They wanted it. They got it.
“Whatever happened to freedom of choice? “
It’s still there. Did you read the article?
what ever happened to freedom?
“I expected that to happen. Right after I learned that they would put your ass in jail if you took more of your money out of your account that they thought that you should. I wondered what their next move would be. But, this is what the majority of voters voted for. They wanted it. They got it.”
What is your beef? That check cashers have to produce an ID?
Duh ...
“what ever happened to freedom?”
Please explain how this affects your freedom ... unless you are part of the underground criminal element ...
You really should read the article.
[BS. For people in tough economic situations, bank fees are far worse than these check cashing centers, and that’s if they even have the minimum balance to have an account.]
The bank lobby in Washington D.C. dwarfs the check cashing lobby and the pay day loan lobby. Money talks. . .
So the almighty IRS doesn't have the wherewithal to red flag these returns but check cashing places do?
cracking down on fraudulent checks is rassist!
I have read where millions of dollars in refunds goes to a singular address for many different people.
That can’t be redflagged??!!
They are too busy auditing conservatives.
How exactly does a person get $12 million in tax refund checks? You know, just for educational purposes...
You file thousands of tax returns with low income and max dependents for dead people, young kids or any other SS# you can get hands on beginning January 1st. As dumb as it sounds, the IRS will just keep sending refund checks to the same address for all these different filers. The big surprise comes for many taxpayers when they go to file and the IRS has already processed your return and sent a refund.
The Post Office has a service for businesses that want to ensure they have good addresses on their databases. It will take an address and tell you if that address is a single-family or multi-family residence. It will also tell you if the address is a park, vacant lot, etc.
Don't tell me the IRS could not make use of this to red-flag cases where multiple checks with different last names are going to a single residence, or a place that is not a residential address.
They use fake I.D.’s to purchase automobiles too and no one cracks down on dealerships.
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