Contact UsRecently, my son received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service that someone filed a tax return using his information Last year he was in Baja Mexico and lost his wallet with his license, credit card, social security card and all his cash. Now we discover someone is filing a tax return under his name. Who do we contact at the IRS about this and how does he protect himself from this happening again?
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Tax Professional Answers
Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D.
I just answered a similar question for another person on Tax Connections. I have copied the answer below as it will be helpful to your son. I was sorry to hear of this incident.
The growing volume of identity theft cases now threatens to turn into a tsunami of gigantic proportions. According to the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate, at the end of fiscal year 2012, the IRS Identity Theft Protection Specialized Unit had almost 650,000 identity theft cases to deal with.
The IRS has set up a special task force to deal with the problem – IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. The Unit can be reached toll-free at 1-800-908-4490. In your case, it sounds as if your tax records will already be affected. The IRS advises that even if If your tax records are not currently affected by identity theft, but you believe you may be at risk, for example, due to a lost/stolen purse or wallet, you should call the Unit for help. The IRS will take steps to secure your tax account. Take good notes documenting the agent you spoke with including his or her badge number, the date, time and substance of the conversation. I suggest you ask the agent for the IRS address to whom you should write a letter to document your discussion. Follow up in writing and send your letter to the IRS by certified mail, keeping a copy of the letter and the receipt.
In addition to the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission also has helpful information about reporting identity theft. Read the information here, as this will be very important to help you protect your credit.www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/repairing-identity-theft
To learn about recent IRS enforcement actions to battle identity theft, please, see IRS Intensifies National Crackdown on Identity Theft on IRS.gov. The link is here
www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Intensifies-National-Crackdown-on-Identity-Theft-January-2013
Additional Resources:
• Visit the Identity Protection home page on IRS.gov and click on the Identity Theft link at the bottom of the page. This contains much useful information, including how to report identity theft, facts about phishing and related fraudulent activity. Here is the link, there is a special section regarding loss of one's wallet. www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection
•FS-2012-8, Use the IRS-prepared, very useful Identity Theft Toolkitwww.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft-1
•FS-2013-3, Read the Tips for Taxpayers, Victims of Identity Theft and Tax Returns www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Tips-for-Taxpayers,-Victims-about-Identity-Theft-and-Tax-Returns
Wishing your son the best of luck!
Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D.
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561 weeks ago
The growing volume of identity theft cases now threatens to turn into a tsunami of gigantic proportions. According to the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate, at the end of fiscal year 2012, the IRS Identity Theft Protection Specialized Unit had almost 650,000 identity theft cases to deal with.
The IRS has set up a special task force to deal with the problem – IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. The Unit can be reached toll-free at 1-800-908-4490. In your case, it sounds as if your tax records will already be affected. The IRS advises that even if If your tax records are not currently affected by identity theft, but you believe you may be at risk, for example, due to a lost/stolen purse or wallet, you should call the Unit for help. The IRS will take steps to secure your tax account. Take good notes documenting the agent you spoke with including his or her badge number, the date, time and substance of the conversation. I suggest you ask the agent for the IRS address to whom you should write a letter to document your discussion. Follow up in writing and send your letter to the IRS by certified mail, keeping a copy of the letter and the receipt.
In addition to the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission also has helpful information about reporting identity theft. Read the information here, as this will be very important to help you protect your credit.www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/repairing-identity-theft
To learn about recent IRS enforcement actions to battle identity theft, please, see IRS Intensifies National Crackdown on Identity Theft on IRS.gov. The link is here
www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Intensifies-National-Crackdown-on-Identity-Theft-January-2013
Additional Resources:
• Visit the Identity Protection home page on IRS.gov and click on the Identity Theft link at the bottom of the page. This contains much useful information, including how to report identity theft, facts about phishing and related fraudulent activity. Here is the link, there is a special section regarding loss of one's wallet. www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection
•FS-2012-8, Use the IRS-prepared, very useful Identity Theft Toolkitwww.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft-1
•FS-2013-3, Read the Tips for Taxpayers, Victims of Identity Theft and Tax Returns www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Tips-for-Taxpayers,-Victims-about-Identity-Theft-and-Tax-Returns
Wishing your son the best of luck!
Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.D.