Report finds widespread fraud in taxpayer ID program

[Taxmancometh]

The inspector general also found 10 individual addresses were used for filing 53,994 tax returns and receiving $86.4 million in fraudulent tax refunds. For example, 23,994 tax refunds totaling $46.3 million were issued to an address in Atlanta; and 2,507 tax refunds totaling $10.4 million were issued to an address in Oxnard, Calif.

Report finds widespread fraud in taxpayer ID program | Fox News

[tony_j15]

Saw this on the AP Newswire a few days back, couldn't share because of copyright. Thanks for posting, Tax!

Not to generalize, but this problem sounds both simple and solvable. Any nerd with Excel could design a database that would automatically alert you when an address is used above a certain number of times and force an actual human to get involved.
The good news is since we discovered the abuse, steps can be taken towards recovery of funds and arresting the perpetrators. The better news would be if they designed an all-inclusive database that would actually prevent this sort of thing in the first place.

[Taxmancometh]

Well, it's our great bureaucracy. There's more red tape than Tienanmen Square.