The IRS says that millions of people have become victims of con artists that have used the victim’s social security numbers to file taxes.
Once the scammers file taxes, they turn around and collect tax refunds from the government.
Meanwhile, not only has the victim’s identity been stolen, they are also out of luck (at least for a few month) when trying to collect whatever tax refund they deserved.
Are you a victim of identity theft? Is someone using your social security number to file taxes or to take out a loan or credit card in your name?
Perhaps you’ve just lost your social security number and are worried about what may happen to your credit history and credit score.
This video offers a few tips from Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach.
If someone has used your Social Security number (or your children’s social security numbers) to file an income tax return, you need to alert the authorities as soon as possible and advise them that you have been the victim of identity theft.
Start by filling out IRS Form 14039, an Identity Theft Affidavit, which tells the the IRS that someone has already fraudulently used your Social Security number – or that you suspect you may be a potential victim of fraud.
This Form 14039 lets you advise the IRS of any incidents that are currently impacting your taxes, as well as any incidents that could impact your taxes in the future.
To prove that you are who you say you are, you’ll have to submit to the IRS documentation such as a passport, driver’s license, social security card, or another federal or state-issued government ID card.
Send these documents via mail or fax:
Mailing address:
Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 9039
Andover, MA 01810-0939
FAX: (Not toll-free)
1-978-247-9965
Since the IRS is accustomed to seeing these kinds of scams, the IRS actually has a dedicated division to dealing with cases where someone has stolen another person’s social security number and used it to file an income tax return.
