Originally published Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Taxpayer loses $34,000 refund to false filer

A Bellevue woman says someone else received her $34,000 tax refund after they fraudulently filed her tax return. The woman, whose name has...

By Seattle Times staff

A Bellevue woman says someone else received her $34,000 tax refund after they fraudulently filed her tax return.

The woman, whose name has not been released, contacted Bellevue police Thursday on the advice of the IRS. The woman told police she called the IRS and discovered her return had already been sent to an address in California, said Greg Gannis, spokesman for Bellevue police.

The woman said her taxes had been filed at a storefront tax-preparation center in California under her name.

"She lost $34,000 and some change," Gannis said.

The woman is working with the IRS, which will investigate the alleged fraud case. She contacted Bellevue police as a precautionary measure against future identity theft, Gannis said.

The average tax return for Americans who filed claims with the IRS was about $2,700, said a spokesman for the IRS.

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