IRS Archives

View of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2023. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

A year after outcry, IRS still doesn’t offer taxpayers alternative to ID.me

The agency sparked controversy over its decision to deploy facial recognition technology from the company to vet taxpayers' identity.

Feb 9, 2023 By Tonya Riley

Facial recognition, biometrics, privacy — Getty Images

ID.me misled IRS on processing times for identity verification, congressional investigators found

Wait times to receive identity verification were more than double than what ID.me initially represented to the IRS.

Nov 17, 2022 By Tonya Riley

Rep. Carolyn Maloney delivers remarks as she participates in a bill enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on March 17, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

House panel launches probe of government contracts with identity verification company ID.me

The committee twice cited CyberScoop reporting on the firm.

Apr 14, 2022 By Tim Starks

W-9, IRS scam, phishing email, emotet — (Getty Images / Scoop News Group)

Emotet’s tax-season phishing is back with new tricks

Researchers at Cofense say the operators behind the Emotet botnet "have upped their game" for 2022's tax season.

Mar 16, 2022 By Joe Warminsky

IRS announces it will stop use of facial recognition for identity verification

The decision by IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig comes after mounting backlash from lawmakers and privacy and civil liberties advocates.

Feb 7, 2022 By Tonya Riley

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 27: The Internal Revenue Service headquarters building appeared to be mostly empty April 27, 2020 in the Federal Triangle section of Washington, DC. The IRS called about 10,000 volunteer employees back to work Monday at 10 of its mission critical locations to work on taxpayer correspondence, handling tax documents, taking telephone calls and other actions related to the tax filing season. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Lawmakers want IRS to address security concerns with use of facial recognition on taxpayers

There are bipartisan calls from Capitol Hill for the tax-collection agency to consider several potential privacy and security threats posed by ID.me's technology.

Feb 7, 2022 By Tonya Riley

surveillance camera facial recognition biometric security — (Getty Images)

ID.me CEO backtracks on claims company doesn’t use powerful facial recognition tech

The company had said it didn't use 1:many facial recognition.

Jan 26, 2022 By Tonya Riley

bitcoin, cryptocurrency — (Photo illustration by Chesnot / Getty Images)

Deposits to illicit crypto addresses nearly doubled in 2021, Chainalysis finds

Theft of DeFi grew 2,000%, researchers found.

Jan 6, 2022 By Tonya Riley

Vaping and e-cigarette products are displayed in a store on December 19, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

IRS used vape store receipts to gather evidence against alleged Ukrainian scammer

A number of innocuous messages proved valuable for U.S. investigators trying to slow an accused identity thief.

Sep 8, 2021 By Jeff Stone

People wait in their cars as they line up outside John F. Kennedy Library to collect unemployment forms in Hialeah, Florida, on April 8, 2020. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Hacker, money launderer sentenced to prison for scamming tax preparers and COVID-19 relief programs

The scheme, which included a money laundering operation, netted $280,000 from COVID-19 relief in one state alone.

Sep 2, 2021 By Tim Starks