IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office

This has become an annual tradition for CI, and I could not be happier with the positive reception that it has received each time. This was born out of a conversation I had with former FinCEN Director Himamauli Das, to illustrate the importance of BSA filings to law enforcement. Then, working with former CI Chief Jim Lee , LAFO SAC Tyler Hatcher and many others the first release took shape. This year we added more data and tapped into the knowledge and experience of Lauren Kohr and others to produce what was released today. I hope this release takes additional steps to close the feedback loop and drives us to better and more productive Public Private Partnerships. Please share feedback so we can make further enhancements in the future.

#IRSCI released FY24 Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) investigative data showing how partnerships between private financial institutions and #IRSCI continue to thwart criminal activity and deliver results to taxpayers. ?For fiscal years 22-24, 87.3% of IRS-CI investigations recommended for prosecution had a primary subject related to a BSA filing ?Adjudicated cases resulted in a 97.3% conviction rate with an average prison sentence of 37 months ?BSA data led to the identification of $21.1 billion in fraud tied to tax and financial crimes and $8.2 billion in assets tied to criminal activity ?$1.4 billion returned to crime victims And with the announcement of the CI-FIRST (Feedback in Response to Strategic Threats) initiative, this valued public-private partnership is poised to increase investigative results by giving financial institutions who file suspicious activities reports (SARs) input on how SARs are used and what data points lead to catching criminals. ? Read more about how BSA data assists IRS-CI in building cases that takes criminals and drugs off the streets by clicking the image below. ? #WhatWeDoCounts #FollowTheMoney #Partnerships #BSA

Is this fraud or not? It depends. While this email could be from a legitimate new client, we’re seeing new client scams where cybercriminals impersonate new, potential clients to trick tax preparers into responding to their emails. Once the preparer responds, the scammer sends a malicious attachment or URL that can compromise the preparer's computer systems and allows the attacker to access sensitive client information. The best rule of thumb; don’t open documents or click links from unknown senders. Learn how to protect yourself this tax season.?#FraudOrNot?

A tax return preparer receives an email from a prospective new client with personal tax information attached. The email asks the preparer to review the attachments. Is this?#FraudOrNot? Respond “Fraud” or “Not” in the comments below and check back this afternoon to learn more.

#IRSCI has an impressive 90% overall conviction rate for prosecuted cases. But when it comes to investigating COVID fraud, our agency has an exceptional 97.4% conviction rate. This level of success is a testament to our special agents’ investigative expertise and commitment to holding accountable those who choose to exploit federal aid for their own personal gain. ? Just this last week, two brothers from Sedona, Arizona, pleaded guilty for conspiring to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration out of nearly $109 million in PPP loans. For the full story, click here:?https://lnkd.in/ef_MdiiU ? #FollowTheMoney #WhatWeDoCounts #CARESAct

During the pandemic, scammers saw federal aid as an opportunity to steal. Fraudsters are now finding out their schemes are leading to prison time after #IRSCI investigations come to fruition. #IRSCI has catalyzed 545 CARES Act fraud investigations involving more than $5.6 billion in employment retention credit (ERC). ERC was designed for businesses who continued to pay employees while being shut down due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Read more about Lakisha Pearson of Holly Springs, Mississippi, who was sentenced to 52 months in jail and ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution: https://lnkd.in/gJiQj8as #COVID #FollowTheMoney #LawEnforcement #1811

The CARES Act was created in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 #pandemic. Unfortunately, a program meant to render aid to those in need, quickly became exploited by criminals. To date, more than 1,000 people have been indicted for their alleged COVID-related #crimes, and 569 individuals have been sentenced to an average of 31 months in federal prison. Read how a Southwest Virginia man, later sentenced to 57 months in prison, conspired with at least 30 others in a scheme to defraud the government of more than $499,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits at https://lnkd.in/gnR-Kkjm. #irsci #COVID #fraud #FollowTheMoney #lawenforcement #1811

Don't let social media influencers and trends get you into tax trouble. Verify tax-related information with a reputable tax preparer or the IRS website before you follow bad advice. #WhatWeDoCounts #FraudOrNot

You just moved to a new city, and you’re looking for a new tax return preparer. Your coworkers raved about a particular one that they’ve used for years. In doing your own research, you visit the IRS’ directory of tax return preparers to verify that the preparer has a PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number). This particular preparer isn’t listed, but there’s a PTIN listed in an online IRS directory associated with another person’s name at the same tax business. Is this #FraudorNot? Respond “Fraud” or “Not” in the comments below and check back this afternoon to learn more.

A Panacea, Florida, man was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for willfully failing to file his income tax returns for tax years 2017-2021, based on an IRS-CI Tampa Field Office investigation. ??