Fringe Benefits: Names & SSN's

[George Boutwell]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has fired three workers over allegations of a tax fraud scam. The employees are accused in termination papers of claiming children of department clients as dependents in order to increase tax refunds. The three workers were fired last year over the allegations, which involved 2003 and 2004 tax returns.

D.H.S. officials say they were tipped off about the scam in a phone call. An agency spokesman says the Internal Revenue Service was contacted and worked with the Department of Human Services office of inspector general. It is not known if the three are still being investigated. A spokesman for the IRS says the agency can't reveal any information because of privacy laws.

[Jiggers]

Scam

You would hope that in addition to being fired, that restitution will be required, plus some mandatory jail time.

This stuff has to go stop.

I see that LA has a problem right now about $10Mil being paid out incorrectly for unemployment to government employees because of Hurricane Katrina. They should also fire the employees, require restitution, and some mandatory jail time.

These all know better and the only way to stop it is to come down hard.

[JohnH]

Anybody want to bet

The odds are pretty good that they will still get their pensions, even when fired for this type of flagrant misconduct.