Niles Elber Quoted: IRS Faces Savvy Criminals but Lacks Funds to Fight Fraud

Caplin & Drysdale's Niles A. Elber was quoted by Bloomberg BNA concerning the uphill battle the Internal Revenue Service faces when it comes to stopping identity theft and data breaches.  The agency, with its troves of taxpayer data, is an appealing target for fraudsters looking for Social Security numbers and income information, according to attorneys who deal with tax controversy and criminal tax issues. And as long as taxpayers can access information online, which is an important and time-saving feature, the threat will continue, Niles Elber, a member at Caplin & Drysdale, said in a July 14 interview.  The agency has faced data breaches, phishing schemes, phone scams and tax refund fraud during the past several years. In a high-profile attack, hackers breached 724,000 taxpayer accounts in 2014 and 2015 using an online application that allows taxpayers to access return summaries.  “Frankly, I don't know how you stay in front of the professional hackers,” he said. “Every time you put up another wall, they manage to get through it in what seems like no time at all.”  To view the full article, please visit Bloomberg BNA's website (subscription required).