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IRS Awards $7 Million Fraud Prevention Contract To Equifax (politico.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Politico: The IRS will pay Equifax $7.25 million to verify taxpayer identities and help prevent fraud under a no-bid contract issued last week, even as lawmakers lash the embattled company about a massive security breach that exposed personal information of as many as 145.5 million Americans. A contract award for Equifax's data services was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities database Sept. 30 -- the final day of the fiscal year. The credit agency will "verify taxpayer identity" and "assist in ongoing identity verification and validations" at the IRS, according to the award. The notice describes the contract as a "sole source order," meaning Equifax is the only company deemed capable of providing the service. It says the order was issued to prevent a lapse in identity checks while officials resolve a dispute over a separate contract. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle blasted the IRS decision.
Time to Start up a Class Action Against the IRS for ENABLING data compromised companies to perform government contracts involving IDENTITY! Appalling!
C'mon. Please tell me that this are fake news :-(
Swamp still stinks
As much as I like to bash the IRS, they appear to be doing what they have to do to keep things moving. If that means cutting a check, then do it and let the politicians and others fight about it later, otherwise NOTHING will happen.
If the Feds want that money back later, there are means to get it.
Equifax is the only company deemed capable ...
Since Equifax has shown to be very incapable (of exactly the things they should be capable of), what does this say about all other companies in this business?
Equifax has learned the art from President Trump himself while attending Trump University. Grab em by the pussy, I say!
I hope they got some free Trump steaks with the deal, too.
Why is it a "sole source orderâoe? We have verified at least a few other parties have access to all the same data now....
Their CEO and Chief Security Officer resigned, so the problem's fixed...
How's Trumpland feeling now?
They will need a good fraud prevention program following the data breach by Equifax ... Oh wait!
Whoever stole their data can do this job, too, and likely a lot better than these criminally stupid assclowns.
Hire the hackers for this job.
It won't happen. Listen my fellow peasant, we have to just bend over and take it.
And when we get the letter stating that our taxes have already been filed (probably by some illegal alien using our SSN to get his refund and CTC, EITC, ACTC), WE will be the ones that will have to spend the time filling out forms to prove that we are who we are.
Then, every tax year, WE will have to provide the documentation stating that we are who we say we are.
All because businesses are careless with the data they insist on collecting about us. It's no skin off of their asses.
My wife's neurologist system was broken into and we got the letter stating that the break-in happened and "how they take patient privacy seriously".
Dumb shits.
Suck it up! There's nothing else to do!
We NEED European style privacy laws and regulations because businesses cannot be trusted to take responsibility.
If anyone understands fraud, it's Equifax!
capcha: lawless.
[quote]The notice describes the contract as a "sole source order," meaning Equifax is the only company deemed capable of providing the service[/quote]
While that may have been true at the time of posting the order, pretty much every company has access to the same data as Equifax now.
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
My company is currently spending a lot of money and time to comply with Europe's new General Data Protection Rules whereby any person can request that their information be completely removed for a company's systems. The reason the company is taking it seriously is because the fines for non-compliance are set as a percentage of the company's revenue so they could be massive. Plus no other European company will do business with us unless we're compliant.
Here in the USA though the moment most people hear "European style" they'll dismiss it as socialist and proudly remind you of how we value our freedoms here like the freedom to have a company compile vast amounts of sensitive data about you or the freedom to go bankrupt from medical bills or the freedom to never be able to afford to retire or the freedom to not be able to afford to go to college or the freedom to have your kids murdered in their classroom.
WTF.
7 million..prob over 5 years is a very small contract for an org. the size of the IRS
Comment removed based on user account deletion
This IRS calling to check your identity we need your
Name
Address
SS number or tax ID number
Equifax just proved that they have the necessary data...
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The decision was no doubt made weeks ago. The announcement had to be made by Sept. 30 so it was in the right fiscal year budget - use it or lose it.
Ladies and gentlemen, the swamp has been drained bigly. This is most draining of the swamp ever done by a President. Everyone loves it.
...and your bank account number, login and password to deposit your refund.
This will make things much easier to own taxpayers
-signed,
multiple cracking groups
There is a reason we call it "Government Level Stupidity".
This is an ex-parrot!
It's like hiring the Boston Strangler as a kindergartner.
Will they detect that the award is fraudulent?
The Dept. of Human Services has awarded a contract to a company formed by OJ Simpson, Robert Blake, and Scott Peterson to do research into domestic violence prevention and awareness.
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." Col. Jeff Cooper
you have to wonder what could have happened to make such fraud prevention measures necessary.
Nullius in verba
Wanting plausible deniability for any negative results of their actions has made sense for politicians at least going back to the first few years after BC changed to AD.
As ACA repeal attempts this year have demonstrated, even the current Republican politicians still fear losing plausible deniability.
This IRS calling to check your identity we need your
Name
Address
SS number or tax ID number
Hello, IRS agent! It's on the internet now, so by all means, feel free to download it.
I think "swamp" is the alt-rights" code phrase for Treasury....
We have heard that the government doesn't work, so elect "so and so"; if they get elected, they then break the (previously working) government exactly as they described, and say it never worked.
I am the unwilling control for my Origin.
Shouldn't it be that Equifax is paying the IRS to validate taxpayer data? Is there some reason the IRS isn't the absolute source for taxpayer data?
Equifax just showed the world their absolute ineptitude and now the IRS wants to give them a contract with sensitive information!? Oh boy! Now I have seen absolutely everything. Lightning may strike me dead because I really and truly can see nothing more.
Let's hear from the crowd, who like to pay taxes — because that's how they buy civilization .
They seem kind of quiet today for some reason...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
I'm sorry, is this The Onion?
So, if I understand correctly, an organization who whose sensitive personal data (on almost every US taxpayer) has been compromised, is now being paid to be the sole source of verification for that very same information. What could go wrong?
I realize I am at odds with 50% of the American Electorate, but perhaps we need to get specific on who exactly is in this swamp that needs draining. Ajit Pai is cool? Equifax is legit? And people support these positions? WTF.
I don't know the exact word for state of Anarchy in which The Authority is itself is the source of the chaos and disorder. But, this seems to be current policy doctrine, supported by a large part of the electorate, for God Knows what reason. (Literally.)
Too bad the IRS doesn't have to use their own money to fund this operation. I have a way better and cheaper alternative. Make it illegal for any company to hold your information, and let the individual provide credit references when they go to open credit. Put the control in the hands of the consumer.
You don't realize that republicans control everything right now right? You guys made this decision. I thought you were going to drain the swamp? Business as usual.
The IRS tried to replace Equifax back in July when it awarded the contract that was competed to another company.
Equifax was the incumbent and protested the award.
In order to keep the service available to taxpayers, the IRS awarded Equifax a "bridge contract" until the protest is resolved.
So the IRS did everything right, the normal red tape prevented it from reacting to the security breach when it happened.
paid to be "sole source order"
Now they're bailing out a company that profits from predatory lending. We need to let the entire credit 'industry' fall. It preys on people and keeps them working to serve business. Prices will adapt as people begin learning what 'living within your means' really, truly is. All three agencies should be forcefully liquidated and corporate lending abolished.
Corporations get free lunches from the backs of this country's citizens. Take it back.
Now that corporations are people, the Peter Principle applies to them, too.
You can't make this shit up.
The damned credit agencies can't even get my address right. I've ran 3 agency checks several times over the last few years, and found multiple errors, and yet the government wants to rely on these jackasses? They should be sued into oblivion for not getting their shit straight. I'm currently fighting with one of them over a phony bill from MCI...yes, MCI. I had used them at an old address that I moved away from back in '02, and yet MCI posted that I owe them about $50 as of 2013...eleven years after I no longer had an account with them. I could easily pay off MCI, but am fighting it on principle.
Just another day in Paradise
Did I wake up in a parallel universe? Think of every possible expletive than dream of shoving them up the tail of this huge asses.