Local tax preparer blames breach for ID theft

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Some clients of a metro Atlanta tax preparer are finding when they go to file their taxes this year that their identities have been stolen.

The tax preparer, TS Tax & Accounting Services in Cobb County, blames a data breach.

"I just feel the accountability was little to none," client Anne Cross said.

When Cross went to file her taxes this year, she found somebody else had already filed as her. "My Social Security number had been rejected by the IRS. Someone else had already filed," Cross said.

Cross got an email from TS Tax & Accounting Services warning her of potential problems.

“It appears TS Tax & Accounting Services data has been breached,” the email says. “The information compromised is taxpayer, spouse and dependent’s names, social security numbers and birthdates.”

“Every business, especially tax businesses or any business that deals directly with so much personal information has got to think security and safeguards first,” said Cross.

Channel 2 Investigative reporter Justin Gray called the owner of TS Tax & Accounting and went to the office.

The owner would not talk on camera.

But she told Gray off camera that she has informed all her clients about the apparent data breach

She also showed Gray emails where she reached out to the IRS with a full list of clients whose identities may have been stolen.

We also spoke with Stephanie, a TS customer who didn't want to share her last name after having her identity stolen before.

The IRS contacted her this weekend after successfully stopping an attempt to file a false return under her name.

"At least it was caught and there were measures I could take that were effective," Stephanie said.

The tax preparer told us in a statement:

“TS Tax & Accounting Services deeply regrets this occurrence, is sorry for the impact this incident is having on clients; and is mindful that similar occurrences have affected other larger institutions and with greater resources deployed to avoid a data breach.”

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