Complaint Review: Michael Napadow Hartford Insurance Nation's Hazard Insurance - West Dundee Illinois

Michael Napadow is at it again but in a different realm.

He was hired in February of 2004 by The Mullan Group to help do their clients tax returns. He was posing as an accountant with evidently a great resume Tom Mullan owner of The Mullan Group stated to me.

My refund was done by Napadow instead of Mr. Mullan which surprised me. The only reason I found out is because Napadow called me at work one day asking me personal info over the phone and stated he was hired by The Mullan Group to do my taxes. I had given Mullan the same info at an earlier meeting so I thought this was strange. Upset just because Mullan wasn't doing my taxes personally and never hearing this man's name before, I declined to give him any info and said I was calling Tom Mullin. That night Mullin called me at home and said it was good I didn't give any info over the phone. Mullin wanted to verify my bank to direct deposit my refund in again and said the wrong bank. I told him that wasn't it and gave him the correct bank name and he said are you sure? Well, of course I was. Now looking back I know why he said that. Mullan was looking at my finished return with Napadow's bank info instead of mine!

Mullan preceeded to try and hide this fact from me until when I called to question where my refund was since the IRS would only tell me it was under investigation. All Tom Mullan said was that a Treasury Dept. Agent was going to be giving me a call. A few days later I heard from the agent and found out the truth about my refund. Michael Napadow had stolen 11 customer refunds of The Mullan Group.

I called a lawyer and he suggested I change all my personal accounts and info since Napadow now had that. He said to file a police report. He also said I should go to The Mullan Group and have them pay me my refund since the Treasury Dept Agent told me it could take years for this to get to Federal Court and they were trying to find Napadow. The IRS wasn't helping me either though they knew about the situation. All they could do is direct me to a Taxpayer Advocate Dept. where I was assigned someone who could periodically give me an update on things. I couldn't get a lawyer because after paying them, I would not have much of a refund left!

I went to Tom Mullan as the lawyer suggest and he said his firm did not have the funds to pay me my $6,500 refund. He and his wife said they would have to pay out of their own pocket and I would have to sign paperwork that I would not go to the papers with my story. A little scary since his company says they help individuals create and protect wealth with their financial strategies. Maybe they need to work on their own! Well, I did not sign his papers and I did not get my money.

Well, after many phones calls and stress in July, 2005 I received my refund from the IRS Taxpayers Advocate Office. What a surprise since just weeks before the office painted a glim picture. I'm not quite sure what happened but I was happy.

It's tax time again and of course I am not using The Mullan Group in Bonita Springs, FL to do my taxes. Many of my co-workers are not using him this year either for their own reasons. I've learned two things from this. Never do direct deposit on your tax refund since the banks don't even look at names - just numbers and...the crooks get away with everything.

Tiffany

Marco Island, Florida
U.S.A.