SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD
Your Social Security number (SSN) is one of your most valued card possessions. Make a front and back copy of it, along with your other various cards and passport, and keep the copies in a safe place. Unfortunately, there are websites that can provide you with just about anyone's social security number. If you doubt this, try paying and searching online databases. Do not entrust your Social Security number to anyone you do not trust or have not positively verified. If you have to provide your social number and have verified the person or company, ask the following questions: How will you use it? How will you protect it? Is it really necessary for this transaction? What if I don't give it to you? Social Security number identity theft victims are commonly made aware they are victims by collection agencies or the IRS years after the damage has already been done by someone using their social security number to obtain an apartment, credit, cell phone, utility service, employment, etc. Social Security cards are easily counterfeited due to the lack of reasonable security features. If a criminal has opened any new account using your social security number, file an Identity Theft report with your local police agency.
agencies, or from telling the rightful owners of Social Security numbers that someone else is working under their number. The rightful owner of a stolen SSN number does not get the benefits accrued under its false use. Fraudulently using a Social Security number is a felony.
JOB(S) YOU DID NOT WORK:
owe delinquent taxes for jobs they never worked. Someone counterfeited a social security card with the victim's SSN, used it to gain employment, and became delinquent on the taxes. The victim should go to the nearest Social Security Office and get a printout of their Social Security Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement. The Social Security Administration (SSA) mails the statement each year about three months before your birthday. Autotrack.com and other database search websites may also indicate what else your SSN is being used for. Be certain the information in your statement is correct. The statement should indicate who is or was using the victim's social security number to work. If you are a victim, it is likely that more than one person will continue to use your social security number. Use the Social Security number statement to help resolve the tax issues with the IRS. Do not call your local police department because this is a federal crime. Law enforcement agencies will probably refer you to the Social Security Administration or the IRS for this crime. An IRS or SSA case worker or investigator should assist you and help resolve it. The victim may have to annually repeat this process as long as someone continues to work using their Social Security number. Visit the following links to locate or contact your local offices: TAX REFUND STOLEN FROM MAIL OR FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINED BY LOAN ADVANCEMENT USING A TAX PREPARATION SERVICE
victimize thousands of legitimate refund recipients in 2007. This federal crime is committed by someone using a fake W-2 or earnings statement, fake identifiers, and the victim's social security number to obtain a loan advancement on a tax refund before the victim files for their tax refund. The fake W-2 earnings statements can be inflated to create a larger refund. This easy crime is on the rise because every year more personal information is stolen or poorly protected by tax preparation services or obtained by other means. This is a federal crime and most law enforcement agencies will not make a police report for this problem and refer the victim to the IRS or the Social Security Administration. If you are a victim of this crime, you will have to contact the IRS or a special agent in the Department Of The Treasury Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. The IRS should assign an investigator to your situation to resolve the issue. Visit the following links to check the status of your refund, contact an IRS Investigator, or to report that your refund has been fraudulently obtained: REMEMBER TO DOCUMENT ALL YOUR EFFORTS, TIME SPENT, AND CONTACTS.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) can issue you a new social security number. A new SS number does not resolve your problems because the SSA does not have the authority to monitor or control the use of the social security number by other organizations such as credit bureaus, insurance companies, schools, banks, etc. The original SS number will remain assigned to the victim and linked to the new number through the SSA's computer network. Social Security numbers are never canceled or deleted. A new Social Security number may create more problems than its worth depending on your circumstances.
The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from those whose identities have been stolen. The FTC can help victims of identity theft by providing information to assist them in resolving the financial issues that can result from this crime. The FTC puts your information into a secure consumer fraud database and may, in appropriate instances, share it with other law enforcement agencies and private entities. Click on the following links to learn about or request a new Social Security Number:
number to obtain credit. To resolve your credit problems, you need to contact the institution that authorized the credit and contact the major credit reporting agencies. Obtain a copy of your credit report and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit record requiring that you be contacted before credit is approved for someone using your name and social security number. Identity thieves will call or email victims and impersonate an employee from a bank, hospital, social security administration, Medicare, IRS, or any company. The caller can be very convincing and will ultimately ask you for personal information such as your SS number, address, date of birth, your mother's maiden name, bank account numbers, or financial information. The obvious intent of these calls is to steal your identity. In some instances, the caller may just identify you and tell you your date of birth, SSN, address, the name of your bank, etc., - then threaten to drain your accounts if you do not wire money to them. Do not provide any information to these individuals or wire any money. Write the email address down or phone number on your caller ID (probably fake) and notify your bank or the agency of the threat. Employees of any company or agency that you have an account with should not call and ask you to provide your SS number, date of birth, or any identifiers as this information should already be available to them. If you are unsure as to the authenticity of someone who claims to be an employee, call the company or agency using telephone directory verification or the number on the back of your credit or debit cards to verify the reason for the contact - or just hang up.
If a payroll check, personal checks, tax refund, or anything is stolen from your mail, report the theft to a Postal Inspector. To report or learn about mail theft visit the following links:
remove inaccurate information from your records. You should continue checking your credit report for inaccuracies. Keep copies of your correspondence, time spent, records of your telephone calls, and other documents verifying your efforts to correct the problem. |
| TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF YOUR TAX REFUND - COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING LINK ONTO YOUR ADDRESS BAR OR CLICK HERE: WWW.IRS.GOV AND TYPE IN "WHERE'S MY REFUND" ON THE IRS SEARCH BAR: |
| https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp |
| DALLAS, TEXAS TAX REFUND FRAUD HOT LINE 972-308-1169 |
| LOCATE OR CONTACT POSTAL INSPECTORS OFFICE or call 1-800-ASK-USPS |
| LOCATE NEAREST IRS OFFICE OR CALL IRS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS 1-800-829-0433 |