2014 Federal Tax Refund

[DenverGP]

Efiled and got back about $200 in about 2 weeks.... I don't like giving the govt an interest free loan, but I'd like to have to write them a check even less. The $200 paid for part of my bristlecone membership.

I've heard the horror stories of the tax refund fraud going around, and figured it was media over-hype. But a guy I work with had it happen, and one of my wife's friends did as well.

My co-worker went to efile his taxes, and was notified that "he" already received a $5000 refund. Supposedly the address the IRS mailed the check to was the same address used for about 100 other refunds.... How can their computer systems not guess that might be a scam. And the fact that the W2 data the scammer entered to get the fake refund was all completely made up data... Why do we even bother with W2 forms if the IRS doesn't even validate the returns against them.