Tax Refund Scams Plagued Miami-Dade In 2012

Francisco Alvarado December 31, 2012 8:00AM

[
          {
            "name": "Related Stories / Support Us Combo",
            "component": "12278355",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "6"
          },{
            "name": "Air - Billboard - Inline Content",
            "component": "12278351",
            "insertPoint": "2/3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7"
          },
          
          {
            "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2",
            "component": "12278352",
            "insertPoint": "12",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "12"
          },{
            "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size 2",
            "component": "12278352",
            "insertPoint": "4th",
            "startingPoint": "16",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "12"
          }
          
            ,{
              "name": "RevContent - In Article",
              "component": "13536732",
              "insertPoint": "3/5",
              "requiredCountToDisplay": "5"
            }
          
        ]

With another tax season descending on us, you might want to secure your W-2 or 1099 a little tighter. Over the past 12 months, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami has uncovered more than a dozen rackets involved in stealing tax refund checks using stolen identities of social security applicants, elderly and disabled folks, Marines serving in Afghanistan, and even a corpse.

Each case makes you want to guard your personal information by scrubbing your entire existence from the Internet and equipping your bank debit cards with the super-sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet.

Banana Republican has compiled 10 of the most egregious acts of fake tax refund scams in south Florida as a public service announcement:

KEEP MIAMI NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.

Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1.

Francisco Alvarado was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Miami, giving him unique insight into the Magic City and all its dark corners. An investigative reporter with a knack for uncovering corruption, Alvarado made his bones as a staff writer at Miami New Times and remains in dogged pursuit of the next juicy story.

Contact: Francisco Alvarado

Follow:

Twitter: @thefrankness