Banker Allegedly Orchestrates Identity Theft Scheme To Receive Tax Refund Deposits

This case involves a wealthy female banking professional from Connecticut who was charged with filing false tax returns and identity theft. It was alleged that the woman in question bypassed the authentication procedures in the electronic tax return filing process to direct refunds to pre-paid debit cards with the victims’ stolen identities in order to receive direct electronic tax refund deposits. An expert in the electronic tax return filing process used by the IRS was sought to opine on the case.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Can you discuss your familiarity with the electronic tax return filing process used by the IRS?

2. Can you discuss your familiarity with white collar crime and the use of money orders?

Expert Witness Response E-061146

I have 20+ years of experience with the FBI where I investigated and managed hundreds of white collar crime cases. I am very familiar with the different means available for taxpayers to file returns electronically to include splitting refunds between qualified accounts which can be a checking, savings, or other accounts, such as an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), health savings account (HSA), and others. I am also aware that the IRS recently limited the number of direct deposit refunds to a single financial account or pre-paid debit card to 3. In many instances, refunds are directed to various prepaid gift cards. Fraud scenarios include criminals using PII to acquire electronic filing PINs from the IRS in the taxpayers' names and using them to bypass IRS authentication procedures to receive direct electronic tax refund deposits via prepaid cards. The prepaid cards have routing and account numbers, making them look like a legit direct deposit, without any real traceability if paid for by cash.