Group Claims Tax Prep Service Pocketed Refunds

A group of Bronx customers are suing one of the nation's biggest tax preparation companies after their refunds were allegedly stolen. According to a class action lawsuit, at least 20 customers of the H&R Block on Riverdale Avenue were victims of identity theft. One customer said his return was rejected after his tax agent discovered someone had already filed in his name, collecting his refund of several thousand dollars. Other customers had similar stories. The lawsuit claims H&R Block employees filed fraudulent returns using the taxpayers' information from the previous year. A spokesperson for H&R Block says the company is working with the Internal Revenue Service.