Authorities Say Woman Used TurboTax to Get Fraudulent $2.1M Refund on False $3M Earnings Claim
Observers are wondering how a 25-year-old Oregon woman whose only criminal history appears to be a traffic ticket was able to use popular tax-preparation software to obtain a $2.1 million state tax refund to which authorities say she wasn’t entitled.
Krystle Marie Reyes is accused of falsely claiming on an income tax return to have earned $3 million in 2011, the Oregonian reports. The state authorized a $2.1 million refund, based on a TurboTax return submitted by Reyes, and the company issued her a prepaid debit card good for that amount.
The alleged scam wasn’t discovered until after Reyes reported that the debit card had been lost or stolen. She has been charged with computer crime and aggravated theft in the Marion County case.
“They’ve got some explaining to do to restore the confidence of Oregonians,” Rep. Vicki Berger told the newspaper. A Republican from Salem, she serves as co-chair of the House Revenue Committee.
“Is this is an anomaly? If so, let’s make sure it never happens again. Or do we have a systematic problem in the way the Department of Revenue treats this and other transactions?”
Updated on June 12 to add “million” to $2.1 million in the second reference.
