9 digits become a life changer
woman hoping for a tax refund finds out she's become the victim of identity theft
Duaa ELDEIB, Chicago Tribune
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: News
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She lived week to week but took solace in knowing her long hours at minimum-wage jobs would pay off once she received her tax refund. She has more money withheld than needed so she can get a hefty refund each spring. This year, she was set to collect $5,100, money she was counting on to buy a car and pay back a loan.
But nine stolen digits changed everything.
When Harris tried to file her tax return, the Internal Revenue Service rejected it this month because someone else had already filed a return using her Social Security number. That's when she realized she had become a victim of identity theft. It's a scam that entails using stolen Social Security numbers to file phony returns and cash in before anyone realizes, authorities say.
"I feel like I'm being robbed," said Harris, 29, of Chicago's Englewood community. "I worked so hard. I needed that money."
After filing a police report and contacting authorities, Harris may have to wait months before she sees a penny of the money owed to her. But first she has to prove her case.
Tax season can make identity thieves' hearts race. Experts say they swoop in quickly and quietly this time of year and the victims, like Harris, are oblivious to what has happened until they try to file their own returns.
Using stolen Social Security numbers, the thieves make up incomes and employee details to file returns, according to the IRS. As long as they file first, the IRS assumes the returns are legitimate until they hear from the victim.
Although the scam isn't new, fraud specialists say the rise in popularity of electronic filing and direct deposit is fueling the deception. Sending out the funds electronically makes the crime more anonymous, said Bill Kresse, director of St. Xavier University's Center for the Study of Fraud and Corruption.
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