Acadiana Woman Victim of Tax Refund Fraud; Tips to Protect Yourself

Imagine filing your federal taxes and a message comes back saying you've already filed.

This year alone, the Internal Revenue Service is investigating more than 500 cases of identity theft refund fraud. The IRS is cracking down and has hired three thousand employees to focus solely on identity theft cases.

An Acadiana woman is struggling to rightfully collect her refund.

"This has been a horrific experience."

Charlene Landry is a victim of identity theft tax refund fraud. Last month she tried filing her taxes, but was notified she already did.

"I'm just curious to know how they received my information."