H&R Block Customers Suffer Tax Time Identity Theft

The number of identity theft victims rose 22% last year! Although it’s important to always protect your identity, tax season makes people more vulnerable to this crime and you should be especially cautious.

A recent article in the New York Times uncovers an H&R Block office in the Bronx that was infiltrated by identity thieves (apparently it was not the only office affected).

Last year, Kevin Johns, a construction worker in the Bronx, did his taxes at the H&R Block store on Riverdale Avenue that he had used for the past 20 years or so. The next day, though, he got a call from the tax preparer: his return was rejected because he had already filed. Or at least, someone had filed in his name. That someone helped himself or herself to a $8,499 refund.

Sharon Hawa, a disaster-relief coordinator with the Red Cross and another longtime customer at the same office, had a similar experience. Ms. Hawa said she went to have her taxes done, only to be told that someone had already e-filed her taxes and collected $6,145.

Both Ms. Hawa and Mr. Johns said they were told by police detectives investigating their cases that at least 20 customers of the branch and possibly many more had been robbed by identity thieves who were very likely H&R Block employees. Both said the fraudulent filers used their previous year’s adjusted gross incomes as proof of identity.

Posted in Business, Identity Theft by Identity Theft Speaker John Sileo.

Tags: Data Protection, H & R Block, Identity Theft, Identity Theft Speaker, John Sileo, tax fraud, Tax Season