It looks as if taxpayers have to be wary and skeptical even when they send their personal information to the IRS. This government agency is supposed to be trusted with our personal information. Especially at a time when criminals are posing as IRS agents over the telephone, through email, through our employers human resources departments and through schools you would think the IRS itself would be safe. But no!

I just read on AccountingToday.com that, “A grand jury in Georgia has indicted an Internal Revenue Service employee for stealing taxpayers’ identities and filing for tax refunds with their names.”

According to the story, “Stephanie Parker of Atlanta worked at the IRS beginning in 2010, giving her access to taxpayers’ Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other personal information. The indictment alleges that between September 2012 and April 2013, she exploited her job at the IRS to steal the information, which she then used to file tax returns. She allegedly directed the refunds she obtained into various bank accounts and used some of the funds to buy money orders.”

For some reason my thoughts turn to cockroaches. I once heard that if you see one cockroach you can be sure that there are many more that you just don’t see. So, I wonder if this is just an isolated incident or are real IRS agents scamming taxpayers on a regular basis? Just a question that’s worth asking!