ORLANDO, Fla. — A cybersecurity attack on the IRS shows that 200,000 more taxpayers were affected than previously thought.
The taxpayers' records were potentially stolen because they looked up a past return.
The system was shut down after the attacks in May, but the IRS believes the hack started in February.
The crooks gained access to personal tax information through the agency's online application called "get transcript," which allows you to look up past returns.
A new review by the IRS has identified about 334,000 Americans possibly affected by the cyberattack.
That's a huge jump from the original number of 114,000 reported when the hack was uncovered in May.
Officials said that names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and all personal information filled out on tax forms were stolen.
The incident is just the latest in a slew of cyberattacks targeting private businesses and federal agencies.
At the Federal Cyber Security Center, officials said they are constantly on the lookout for cyberattacks.
"When they see something that shouldn't be there, that's trying to get in, that we know shouldn't be there, one of those squares would light up, a human will call them and work through what it may or may not be," said Phyllis Schneck of the Department of Homeland Security. "Detecting different attacks, my guess, my estimate, would be (in) the tens of thousands."
The IRS will mail a letter to the taxpayers whose accounts may have been illegally accessed and will provide free credit monitoring services.
WFTV
