H&R Block Tax Booths Allow ID Theft

At about 600 Wal-Mart stores, booths have been set up for H&R Block tax preparers to provide convenience to filers during the upcoming tax season. Although convenient, the booths have raised questions about privacy and security of taxpayer information. In fact, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Attorney Robert Chastain identified several instances where taxpayer information could easily have been stolen. Computer screens displaying a customer's address, Social Security number, date of birth and other personal data were in plain view of all passers-by.