Well, over the past few years, the IRS has taken the position that it is better to pay money to people in need and pay billions more to crooks, than to take the time to verify people's tax returns. Congress disagreed, and in 2015 Congress passed, and Pres. Obama signed, the PATH act, which extended or made permanent many deductions and credits, but also included the provision that the IRS must do more to prevent fraudulent EIC returns.
