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Dozens of tax returns missing after thieves break into post office mail collection box

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Tax season is in full swing, and for CPA firms, being near a post office is a major plus.

Connally, Jordan and Associates is right across the street fromin Douglasville, but a call from a client tipped them off to a major problem.

“I thought you sent our tax returns?' I said, 'We did on the 19th. You don’t have them?'" said Dennis Connally.

Connally said his firm tracks all mail that leaves the office but learned thieves broke into the mail collection box.


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“We called a few vendors and they didn’t have our checks,” he told Channel 2's Lauren Pozen.

More tax clients called, saying they, too, never got their tax packet.

“In this original information is their name, address, social security numbers," he said.

Connally called the United States Postal Inspection Service and found out thieves broke into the mail collection boxes outside the post office, the very same ones he used.

The firm went into crisis management mode for their clients to stop any potential damage from the thieves.

"They can recreate checks, send them through your account, go to Amazon charge things," he said.

In his nearly 60 years of practice, Connally said this has never happened.

He said it's a major inconvenience to his clients and firm.

"We need every hour and counting right now till the deadline," he said.

Connally said anything with tax information or confidential information will now be sent via FedEx to try and prevent this from happening again.