IRS Opens Door to Identity Theft

Well, 65% of U.S. taxpayers last month filed their tax returns online. Most opted to pay the IRS via credit card if they owed money, or to have a direct bank deposit for a refund.

The government's General Accounting Office reports that if you can hack into the IRS network, you can get into all that juicy taxpayer credit card and direct deposit information. Thus, looking at Hollywood star's tax returns will not be nearly as profitable as looking at their bank statements.

If you believe that the opportunity for identity theft has reached crisis proportions, you might send the GAO's one-page report to your congressman with a few choice words.

Peter S. Kastner