California experimented with fraud prevention by delaying refunds until the filer contacted a third party to verify their identity.
The process resembled a scam but eventually, after a lot of research and double-checking, I finally confirmed the third party was legitimate. However, the process didn't end there. For me, I received a significantly lower amount was received and I had to contact the third party once again. This time I was feeling less confident in contacting the third party. After positive verification was established I was told the balance would be sent to my bank within 10 days. About ten days later the deposit did not appear but before contacting the third party I waited for the snail mail to be delivered. Sure enough, the balance was in the form of a check and delivered as promised.
This was extremely nerve-racking and more complicated than it should have been but understandable since hackers and scammers have become a profitable profession for criminals.
