Hackers breached the Internal Revenue Services network and stole the personal information of 104,000 taxpayers.
It was reported that the breach occurred this spring after hackers downloaded an online service the Internal Revenue Service uses to give Americans access to their past tax returns. According to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen the stolen information included several years worth of tax returns and other information.
According to the Washington Post, “the thieves hacked into a system called ‘”Get Transcript,”‘ clearing a security screen that requires users to know the taxpayer’s Social Security number, date of birth, address and tax filing status.”
The system was compromised from February through mid-May and has since been shut-down. However, according to officials, “those who successfully downloaded the transcripts gained access to information from prior years’ tax returns that could be used to file fraudulent tax returns that more closely resemble those of legitimate taxpayers.”