ANCHOR Benefit Status Tool Back Online After Fraud Investigation

NEW JERSEY — Taxpayers can once again check their ANCHOR payment status online, after suspected fraud prompted the state to shut down the benefit status check tool for a week.

Treasury spokesperson Danielle Currie said that the website went live again on Thursday morning, for those residents who are still waiting on their check or direct deposit from the property tax relief program.

The state pulled down the tool last week, originally attributing the site's unavailability to technical difficulties. On Thursday, Currie confirmed to Patch that the Division of Taxation was investigating "suspected fraud in a number of accounts," and had to both take the website offline and reverse some payments that already went out to taxpayers.

Last year, the state reported more than 900,000 fraudulent attempts to get money from the program, as Patch reported previously. Officials did put new security measures in place to try and prevent fake applications, with more than 2 million taxpayers expected to receive a benefit for this year's round of ANCHOR.

"The Division’s rigorous process of identifying and acting to prevent potential fraudulent activity led to some taxpayers experiencing a 'reversal' of their direct deposit benefit," said Currie, who is Deputy Director of Communications for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.

That means the state diverted payments back to the Division of Taxation while they checked to make sure the money actually went to an eligible resident.

Officials "successfully verified all legitimate taxpayers impacted by this reversal, and all legitimate taxpayers will be issued a paper check immediately," Currie said on Thursday.

"The Division appreciates the public’s patience as it worked to safeguard taxpayer funds," she added.