TurboTax Smacks Down Pitt for False "Scoop"

While you wait 24 business hours for Karl Rove to be indicted and frogwalked across the White House lawn, WILLIAM RIVERS PITT has another HOT HOT HOT scoop. This time it is that TurboTax was hacked. Of course we know this must be true because of Pitt's fantastic track record for veracity. Unfortunately, after Pitt delivered his big SCOOP came the big "OOPS" which you can discern in the thread title which not only has a regular UPDATE but also a NEWER UPDATE, "Scary stuff" UPDATE: the hack was TurboTax (NEWER UPDATE). After Pitt's FALSE "scoop" caused panic among TurboTax customers, that company was forced to dispatch a spokesperson to Pitt's false scoop thread to correct the Trust Fund Kid with the FACTS. Bottom line: TurboTax was NOT hacked. So let us now watch WILLIAM RIVERS PITT once again spread misinformation via a "scoop" in Bolshevik Red while the commentary of your humble correspondent, thinking that TurboTax has a strong legal case now against the Pittster for spreading misinformation, is in the tax [brackets]:

"Scary stuff" UPDATE: the hack was TurboTax (NEWER UPDATE)

[Substitute "OOPS" for each "UPDATE" in the title.]

First dribble of info is coming from Utah:

[Is Jason Leopold your reporter on the scene?]

Utah Tax Commission flags thousands of potential fake returns Snip: Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts said it found that personal information has been stolen from previous returns filed through TurboTax. He said the commission is not yet sure if other programs and companies were affected, nor if the data was stolen from the cloud or some other means.

[Which is not the same thing as TurboTax being hacked. OOPS!]

...but my source tells me as many as 15 other states could have been affected, and that whoever pulled this hack likely got the run of all of TurboTax's information. That might even mean Quickbooks, but I don't know.

[Key phrase: "I don't know." Oh, and who is your source? Jason Leopold? Last I heard he is the U.S. correspondent for a New Zealand college radio station operating out of the student union building in Auckland. I kid you not!!!]

Millions of people have been using TurboTax for years. I used it for years. It's a treasure trove of incredibly detailed tax and financial information...now in the wind.

[Does it have an app for deducting Bukowski's brew expenses from your trust fund income?]

It's a bad one, in my opinion.

[Except, as we shall find out, it is NOT true.]

Update: All the hackers have done so far is use 2013 return information to file bogus 2014 returns, and direct the money to prepaid debit cards. It seems as though they are targeting taxpayers who are getting big refunds, and ignoring the smaller returns. They do, theoretically, have access to a vast pile of identity information, but whether or not they will do anything with that remains to be seen.

[Substitute "OOPS!" for "Update."]

NEW Update: The Salt Lake Tribune re-re-edited their article to extract the name "TurboTax" from the "TurboTax was hacked" article. Given the fact that little ol' me got love from an Intuit PR flack, I think some muscles are being flexed.

[Substitute "OOPS Again!" for "NEW Update." This NEW Update comes after the TurboTax spokesperson we shall see below entered DUmmieland to correct the misinformation spread by WILLIAM RIVERS PITT.]

For the record, the paragraph in the Trib read: "Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts said it found that personal information has been stolen from previous returns filed through TurboTax. He said the commission is not yet sure if other programs and companies were affected, nor if the data was stolen from the cloud or some other means."

[For the record, you have once again provided DUFU comedy gold by acting true to form as a complete idiot.]

...and there's this:

[...and there's this. Having been caught yet again posting a completely FALSE scoop, WILLIAM RIVERS PITT tries to wiggle out of it again. Now to his fellow DUmmies and, eventually, to the TurboTax spokesperson correcting the idiot.....]

My mother received a fake IRS call yesterday... Saying she's being sued by the IRS and she can pay over the phone by debit card. She knew it was fake and reported it buy it sounded professional, automated message.

[Pitt better hope his mother doesn't receive that fake IRS call or he could lose his New Hampshire cabin in the woods.]

Between Target, Home Despot, Turbo Tax, and the hundreds of other hacks and such, I'd be willing to be that all of our data is out there. What is to ultimately done with it is still up in the air. I'm expecting one BIG hack one day, where everyone's info just vanishes.

[Well, Pitt's Anthem Obamacare got hacked as PREDICTED. So far the hackers only snagged 25 bucks but that was only test run before digging deep into his trust funds.]

Faithful TurboTax user.. wonder if my information has been leaked? My credit was already terrible before the hack, and I don't know how much they can make it worse....

[The good news is that Pitt's "scoop" was false so your TurboTax info is safe. The bad news is the hackers probably stole the info you stupidly handed over to ObamaCare. Ask Pitt about the Anthem hack.]

. I used the same identity theft protection plan for a while. Got my credit score down so low that it was useless to thieves.

[Smart move. Did you also cut out your brain in order to collect disability?]

Meanwhile the ACA websites are all properly secured, it is private corporations that refuse to pay for proper security. That should be clear enough by now.

[You think the ObamaCare sites are secure? Keep concentrating on that thought while we pick your pockets.]

. Okay, I thought you were being hyperbolic earlier.

[Actually Pitt was INCORRECT earlier as well as now.]

Dems have tried for years to set up the tax system so that the IRS does your taxes and just sends you a form to sign (for the VAST majority of tax payers who have relatively simple returns). TurboTax has lobbied to prevent this for over a decade. Would save the IRS and the consumers billions and certainly would have been more secure than a this system where people trust third parties with very sensitive data.

[A DUmmie equally as DUmb as Pitt willing to place his financial cojones in the hands of Lois Lerner.]

just changed my password just in case

[From "JASONLEOPOLD" TO "WILLPITT".]

The story is starting to bubble up. DailyKos has it.

[Will Pitt now all excited that the story for which he will soon be smacked down for has gone viral.]

A search for TurboTax on this site produces "no results."

[Uh-oh. The terrible truth is about to break.]

UPDATE: All the hackers have done so far is use 2013 return information to file bogus 2014 returns, and direct the money to prepaid debit cards. It seems as though they are targeting taxpayers who are getting big refunds, and ignoring the smaller returns. They do, theoretically, have access to a vast pile of identity information, but whether or not they will do anything with that remains to be seen.

[The first of Pitt's updates with a big smackdown update about to follow NOW... ]

TurboTax has not been hacked

[Position your face here, Pitt, for the big SMACKDOWN...]

Hi Folks,
Christine from TurboTax here. I want to assure you that TurboTax has not been hacked. We continuously monitor our systems in search of suspicious activity. And through that process, we have found no evidence of a data breach. In addition, we asked a third-party security firm – FireEye/Mandiant – to do an independent assessment. All evidence indicates that those initiating these attacks obtained information outside the tax filing process.

[IOW, WILLIAM RIVERS PITT is once again full of it. Please continue, Christine...]

During this tax season, we have seen a significant increase in attempts by criminals to use stolen identity information such as names and social security numbers obtained from other sources outside the tax preparation process to file fraudulent state tax returns. This illegal activity originates outside the tax preparation process and uses TurboTax as the vehicle to commit this crime.

[IOW, unline the false scoop perpetrated by WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, there is NO EVIDENCE that TurboTax has been hacked. Please continue Christine...]

We will have more information coming on this issue, but I wanted to assure you that our customer's data is safe.

[Unlike Pitt's veracity which is perpetually UNSAFE.]

If you've been a victim of identity theft, we've established a dedicated 800 number where customers impacted by tax fraud can obtain further information with serially trained identity protection agents.

[Do you have a dedicated 800 where WILLIAM RIVERS PITT can call for further information on how too correct his terminal gullibility?]

-Christine Morrison
TurboTax Communications

[Thank you, Christine, for the real facts of the case that you were forced to post in the DUmmieland Swamp due to the complete MISINFORMATION posted by one WILLIAM RIVERS PITT who can be located in New Hampshire in case the TurboTax legal department wants to have a little chat with him.]

So...the Salt Lake Trib had it wrong? My guy in the biz whose whole management team is cloistered with Intuit reps is wrong? Explain, please. 8,000 fraudulent returns in one state alone.

[Actually, YOU had it wrong, Pitt. Who is your guy in the biz? Jason Leopold taking a break from his New Zealand college radio correspondent gig?]

I find only 2 stories on the news, neither say TT was hacked.

[DUmmie uppityperson casting aspersions upon Pitt's non-existent veracity.]

My question is.........how is it that less than 3 hours after your OP on this matter, TuboTax is dead-on-the-case and knows about YOUR post here at DU and begins damage-control operations.

[Because WILLIAM RIVERS PITT is a complete idiot whose FALSE posting has gone viral and frightened TurboTax customers. Hopefully the TurboTax legal department will be looking into this matter. Perhaps someone's trust fund account will soon be FROZEN?]

It doesn't sound like they were breached though. It sounds like identity thieves use their product to file fraudulent returns. There is a difference.

[An important distinction that went completely over Pitt's head.]

I'm a likeable guy. People seek me out.

[Actually Pitt, the people in the TurboTax legal department are seeking you out.]

... who doesn't grasp the simple concept of Secondary Sources. You might want to bone up on "retraction" as well.

[Break out the popcorn. Fasten your seatbelts. The entertaining DUmmie angry reaction to Pitt is about to begin!]

The Salt Lake Trib and ABC News out of Minneapolis...for starters. That's two sources, plus my source.

[You misread the first two sources, Pitt, and does Jason Leopold on a break from his New Zealand college radio correspondent gig still count as a source post-Fitzmas?]

I'm guessing your other "sources" relied on your "guy" as well. Maybe you were their source. Whatevs. That's not second-sourcing, that's cluster****ing.

[Note to the pearlclutchers: FOUR asterisks were used to prevent an adult audience from viewing the word that they already know was written.]

BTW, per your update at least the Trib has edited their story. You're doubling down. Weird, this new "journalism".

[Don't worry. Pitt's original report will be proven correct in just 24 business hours.]

Still waiting on my Rove indictment here. It's not a sin to be wrong, or for a source to have been wrong, nor for the real story to become more complicated as time goes on. It's early yet.

[Pitt's story will be verified on May 12, 2006 or in 24 business hours, whichever comes last.]

What a load of horsesh*t, thank you for signing up just so you could lie to us. Whoever you really are.

[A Pitt true believer defends the veracity of his flawed idol over a TurboTax rep.]

Nice scoop Will.

[Yup. As good as his Karl Rove Indictment scoop.]

Recommendation to you Will, since the article has now been edited and a person from TT has posted though of course anyone could say they were that, it might behoove you to edit your OP since it appears you may be spreading false rumor of TT being hacked.

[GASP! Will spreading a false rumor? Whoda thunk it?]

I think you may have jumped the gun here, Will. Being first to isn't always best.

[Patience. 24 business hours from now you will see Will was correct.]

It was there three hours ago.

[Pitt now sputtering that his false story might have been correct 3 hours ago.]

NEW UPDATE: The Salt Lake Tribune re-re-edited their article to extract the name "TurboTax" from the "TurboTax was hacked" article. Given the fact that little ol' me got love from an Intuit PR flack right here on DU, I think it's safe to say some muscles are being flexed. For the record, the paragraph in the Trib read: "Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts said it found that personal information has been stolen from previous returns filed through TurboTax. He said the commission is not yet sure if other programs and companies were affected, nor if the data was stolen from the cloud or some other means." Stay tuned.

[Little ol' PItt is going to get a lot of "love" from the TurboTax legal department for spreading FALSE rumors.]

Yet none of the articles except for the original updated/corrected ones say "TT hacked".

[Careful DUmmie uppityperson or Pitt will untoady you.]

This OP is pure speculation on a couple cases of tax fraud in a few states. Those committing the fraud used TurboTax to SUBMIT the tax data, but they had the identity info before hand. A simple google search of "turbo tax hack" nets you this OP, a similar blog at Crooks and Liars (using the same original source before it was updated to omit TurboTax), and a bunch of tax fraud articles from years past. Someone jumped the gun on this one.

[Yeah, a certain someone named WILLIAM RIVERS PITT.]

Pitt irresponsibly is insisting they were with zero proof. And, oh, hey, Karl Rove was totally indicted!!!

[And DUmmie PeaceNikki WINS a Kewpie Doll for having a brief moment of mental clarity about the fraud that is WILLIAM RIVERS PITT.]

I'd not have posted this, even if I had some information from reliable sources. It's too explosive a story and incorrect postings could do some real harm.

[Something which never penetrated Pitt's gullible brain.]

Wellnow...

[Sputtered Pitt and DUmmie snooper2 smacked him down with this...]

Yeah, well now, are you going to change the title of your OP telling lies? Have you learned that fraud does not equal hacking yet?

[Those distinctions are too tough for Pitt to comprehend.]