Florida woman claims Titusville tax preparer stole her return: ‘I'm distraught'

Yahoo

28-02-2025

The Brief
A Titusville mother alleges that a tax preparer stole her $10,000 tax refund by filing her return with incorrect bank information, leaving her unable to access her funds.
Frustrated by the lack of transparency and unresponsiveness from the preparer, she has filed a police report while the Titusville Police investigate the alleged theft.
The Better Business Bureau warns that not allowing clients to review tax documents and promising expedited refunds are red flags, particularly for those in financial distress.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - FOX 35 investigates alleged tax theft in Titusville. A mother says a tax preparer took her return and now can't be found.
What we know
She's out thousands as Titusville Police start to investigate.
The woman, Katie Estremera, says she started getting the runaround about where her $10,000 return was and when she would receive it.
That's when Estremera decided to call the IRS herself to check in. That's when she was told her refund had already been deposited. The problem is it didn't go to her account, and that's when she filed a police report.
"I'm distraught. I don't know what to do, where to turn to," said Estremera.
She's devastated after filing her taxes but never getting her return.
"My babies' socials, my socials, my husband. I mean, at the end of the day, I'm suffering because I don't have any of these, no funds to cover what needed to be fixed," said the mother.
The mom of two says she sent her and her husband's W2s and personal information to a tax preparer they used last year and didn't have any issues with.
But after she filed this year, she struggled to get answers.
"She kept telling me she didn't know where it was or what was going on, so I started really digging into everything," said Estremera.
Estremera says she was not allowed to review her return before it was filed.
But when she got the documents back and started reading them, she realized the bank routing and account numbers weren't hers.
When she asked the preparer, Estremera says the preparer told her to "disregard all of that."
It's been weeks, and she's now working with Titusville police to track down her money.
"I'm waiting in limbo trying to fix all this stuff with police reports and IRS documentation and just trying to get my money back," she said.
What they're saying
The Better Business Bureau says the first issue was the fact that this consumer says she couldn't review the documents before they were filed.
"If they will not allow you sufficient time to review it yourself, that should be considered a red flag," said Holly Salmons, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida.
The consumer expert also says you should avoid any tax preparer that promises large refunds, fast returns, or won't show you their credentials.
In messages shared with FOX 35 by Estremera, the preparer also allegedly told her she would print the check and give it to her.
That's another potential problem.
"There is really no reason that the refund should go to your preparer," said Salmons. "It should either be direct deposited to you or the check should be sent directly to you."
What we don't know
FOX 35's Esther Bower spent all day calling, emailing, texting, and even going to the tax preparer's address.
No one has responded yet.
Police are investigating, and FOX 35 confirmed a case report was taken. So far, no one has been arrested.
FOX 35 is not naming the tax preparer because no one has been charged at this time.
This mother says she's now behind on her bills.
The BBB says people in financial binds are often the victims of theft or scams because they need the money desperately.
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The Source
FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower spoke with Katherine Cheney with the Titusville Police Department who's a Police Records Specialist on 2/26/25. We confirmed with Cheney via email the police investigation was ongoing regarding the alleged tax theft. We also spoke with the alleged victim, Katie Estremera, on 2/27/25 to gather her information regarding what happened to her refund.