A massive data breach at the IRS was much bigger than was first realized. Theagency now says more than 700,000 social security numbers and other sensitive information may have been stolen.
Hackers used the “Get Transcript” program, which allows you to check your tax history online. The IRS began the online program two years ago, allowing taxpayers to request their tax history over the Internet, in addition to the post office. But following a nine-month investigation by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, the IRS says its online service has put hundreds of thousands of more taxpayers at risk of identify theft, reports CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford.
Not even Virginia-based tax attorney, Wayne Zell, was protected from hackers.
“Somebody was trying to claim a refund using my social security number and I knew something was wrong,” Zell said. “I got a form earlier this week stating that somebody had recovered my E-File personal identification number. I don’t have an E-File personal identification number.”
The IRS’s data dump is the latest in a series of disclosures. In May 2015, the agency reported cyber criminals accessed approximately 114,000 taxpayer accounts. Three months later, that number grew to as many as 334,000. This month, the IRS said there are as many as 724,000 victims. For the full article click here
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