BELLE GLADE, FL (WFLX) - A city in our area has snagged the attention of federal investigators. They're looking into tax refund fraud and identity theft on a grand scale.
Belle Glade is known for agriculture, football, and now, it's ranked third nationally for the number of tax returns filed. Many are potentially fraudulent -- which costs taxpayer dollars.
In Belle Glade, our news partners at the Sun-Sentinel report one single address along Lake Okeechobee had 741 tax returns. Those returns totaled more than $1 million in refunds.
Nationally, thieves are suspected of collecting $5.2 billion in refunds using identities of children, deceased people, and almost a million people who don't normally file returns.
Now, it's a conversation among lawmakers -- starting with Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "In 2011 alone, Mr. Speaker, the IRS reported -- now, listen to this number -- 851,602 tax returns and $5.8 billion were associated with fraudulent tax returns involving identity theft," said Wasserman. "That's a 280 percent increase since just 2010".
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's office has also commented saying it is: "One of the biggest constituent problems we see in our office".
His office continued to say that the tax fraud: "Often prevents law-abiding taxpayers from receiving the tax refunds they deserve".
Florida is under the microscope by investigators.
Tampa and Miami have also been mentioned as top cities for potentially fraudulent 2010 tax returns.
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