People on public assistance commit majority of tax refund fraud, police say

Tampa Bay Times ^ | 8/19/12 | Patty Ryan

[ruralvoter]

FTA:

Tampa police estimate that 80 to 90 percent of the tax refund fraud they encounter is committed by people on public assistance.

"The people who are benefiting most from our taxes are the ones doing it," said police spokeswoman Andrea Davis.

Tampa led the nation in refund fraud last year, with thieves duping the IRS out of $468 million. That's according to a recent analysis by a federal watchdog agency, which put the national loss at $5.2 billion. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said it detected characteristics of refund fraud in 88,724 paid Tampa returns.

No one can say with certainty who took all the money.

But police know where they find the evidence.

Routinely, they see signs of tax fraud commingled with indicators of food assistance, rent assistance, Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income disability checks.

[DH]

Go to your local grocery store. Stand by the counter and watch just how many welfare cheats buy groceries in comparison to actual cash paying customers.

Follow them into the parking lot and see what they are driving. That in itself will identify a “cheat” to anyone with a brain over the size of a pea.

Next, follow them home and you will normally find about 3 to 5 cars parked there. It’s what we call a “hive” down here. Multiple families of women with children on welfare living with men who work for a living. Dual income and food...what a wonderful world it is here in America where we share the wealth....that is of average working people!

[Condor51]

Some, like Shawntrece Sims, triple-dip. Sims, 32, gained notoriety by using tax money for a fertility procedure. ... Authorities believe she collected $672,887. ... For much of 2009, she also drew a monthly $660 housing subsidy, along with a $1,348 SSI disability check.

grrrrrrr!!!!

[wiggen]

Kind of makes sense. Not everyone getting assistance is deserving of it and once that criminal enterprise is undertaken the next will surely follow.

[wiggen]

“Sims’ plea deal was a significant victory, and the IRS played a big role in that investigation. This summer, the federal government also charged Danielle Denson, alleging the exotic dancer collected $1.6 million in returns, spending proceeds on a Mercedes-Benz, plastic surgery and a $300 thong from Gucci. She awaits trial or a plea deal.”

Plea deal? How much of that money was recovered? All these people defrauding their fellow citizens should be stripped of their citizenship for life which is about how long their sentences should be. Plea deal? Insane.

[Eye of Unk]

In Alaska I hear of horror stories about just how bad the Office of Childrens Services are, I am in debt to them for $9,000 for foster care fees for my autistic son they declared needed special ed and living quarters.

So they take out over $200 per week from my reduced paycheck suffering from depressed construction jobs.

And when my employer is late with the payment to them they then send a threatening letter they will refuse my application for any passport and or deny my renewal of my commercial drivers license.

Now these tactics are quite true, I am not fabricating anything, and its happening now. So what will happen if Obamacare gets passed? Luckily for now Alaska has opted out.

But in other states if you fail to pay Obamacare they may just duplicate what the OCS in Alaska does. Keep you a prisoner so you cannot leave.

[citizen]

...signs of tax fraud commingled with indicators of food assistance, rent assistance, Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income disability checks

In too many cases the first fraud is the act of illegally applying for the various (too many, IMO) federal and state giveaway programs.

(With apologies and sympathies for all those who truly deserve and appreciate receiving public/private assistance.)

[wbill]

Follow them into the parking lot and see what they are driving

My Mom used to work for the state. One of the zealous young auditors there used to do exactly this....until he was told to "knock it off".

She and he used to get along pretty well. Her caseload was around 400 "clients", and since Mom is a hardass, she was usually given the tougher ones. She used to LOVE catching them doubledipping, etc, and turning them into the auditor - this young zealous one in particular.

And, FWIW, the bureaucracy eventually even ground my Mom down. She got tired of higher ups either not caring, or actively promoting all the fraud, and quit to become a librarian. A lot lower stress.