The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been ramping up its efforts to protect taxpayers from identity theft. I’m guessing that the IRS didn’t expect to have to protect taxpayers from identity theft from its own employees. However, that’s exactly what federal investigators allege happened in Philadelphia.
An Orlando television station, WFTV, is reporting that 48-year-old Domeen Flowers used her position as an IRS employee to steal taxpayer identities. An IRS employee since 2007, Flowers allegedly used information gleaned from taxpayer returns to apply for credit cards in central Florida and eastern Pennsylvania. On at least one occasion, Flowers allegedly used official IRS letterhead and envelope to request more information from a victim and threatened the victim with an IRS audit if he did not cooperate.
The IRS would not comment on the ongoing investigation, nor would it elaborate on how many taxpayers might have been affected. If convicted, Flowers faces up to 46 years in prison and fines of more than $1.2 million.
Interestingly, according to Flowers’ Facebook page, she described her position at the IRS as a “Great Job.”
