Best local investigation: The Trib’s Elaine Silvestrini and NewsChannel 8’s Lauren Mayk on IRS fraud

Reports of tax fraud began exploding in the Tampa area late in 2010. In fact, Tampa leads the nation in tax refund fraud in which thieves use other people’s identities to file tax returns to get fraudulent tax refunds. Authorities say this has led to hundreds of millions of dollars being stolen from federal taxpayers in the Tampa area alone. The Tampa Tribune’s Silvestrini and NewsChannel 8’s Mayk led the way in informing the public.