Yesterday, the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) announced the
results of a massive national sweep targeting hundreds of
identity theft suspects in 32 states and Puerto Rico in recent weeks. The
coast-to-coast enforcement effort has been part of a year-long push against tax
refund fraud, with the IRS working in conjunction with the Justice Department
and other federal, state and local agencies as part of a comprehensive strategy
focused on preventing, detecting and resolving identity theft cases as soon as
possible.
The crackdown has been
making news nationwide, underscoring the importance of stopping identity
thieves up front and protecting taxpayers from being victimized by them. Here
are some headlines from around the country:
Houston
Chronicle: IRS targeting identity thieves who file fake returns, steal refunds
Montgomery
Advertiser: IRS cracks down on refund fraud
Allentown
Morning Call: Allentown included in recent IRS crackdown of tax-related
identity theft
Baltimore
Sun: IRS announces crackdown on identity theft
Bloomberg: U.S.
Claims Enforcement Against 389 Tax ID Theft Suspects
Accounting
Today: IRS Conducts Nationwide Sweep to Crack Down on Identity Theft and Tax
Refund Fraud
USA Today:
IRS identity theft crackdown leads to 109 arrests
CNN Money:
IRS nabs identity thieves in nationwide crackdown
To help taxpayers, the IRS
has a special section on
IRS.gov dedicated to identity theft issues, including YouTube
videos, tips for taxpayers and a special guide to assistance.
Anthony Reyes is the New Media Specialist at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.