Contact all three credit reporting agencies and file an identity theft. Then call the IRS and let them know what you’ve done so far. After that I’m not sure.
But when we have a “President” using a fake SSN who knows what government will do or if they will even care.
and
https://www.fs.ml.com/publish/public/privacy_security/report_theft_and_fraud/report_theft_and_fraud.asp
Are good starts
File with the credit reporting agencies asap, they have instructions on their website.
File with all 3 companies.
The first thing I’d do is to do anything and everything to try and get some sort of a police report submitted that I can get a copy of. The next thing would be to search the IRS website for the keyword “fraud”, etc. and do the same thing with SSA...I’d then back this up with a call to the IRS and to the SSA...if you are persistent, you will eventually get a real person.
If you get clear of this, I’d invest in Lifelock for $9/month.
Be prepared, you may end up having to consult a lawyer specializing in identify fraud. Your state bar association should be able to give you referrals.
Good Luck....BTW...I’d get some new W-4s filed on your current income that cuts your tax bite to the bone so you don’t lose what you pay each month when you try to file next year.
Catch 22!
post #2 is excellent advice. Would also contact whoever you do your banking with to look for unusual activity. Contact your congressional rep’s office and ask for their advice also. Good Luck with this situation.
Also file a report with the FTC. They have a fraud and identity theft link on their website.
There is already some of the good advice I would offer. But you might also think about this: Why were you called at your number about a food stamp application while you lived in TX?
That first call was the beginning of the scam. They needed information from you to get something they needed. That’s why you got a call about it at all. The first call was a fishing expedition and it seems they got what they wanted.
Nobody from FL would have called a TX phone number to ask questions about a food stamp application. Further, the scammers would not have put your real # on the application if they even knew it.
Sorry. Good Luck and God Bless.
Much of this advice seems good. You should also copy and MAIL in your IRS forms.
SS website
If someone has misused your Social Security number or other personal information to create credit or other problems for you, Social Security cannot resolve these problems. But there are several things you should do.
You should contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Or, you can call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY 1-866-653-4261. The FTC website is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect and defend against identity theft.
You also may want to contact the Internal Revenue Service. An identity thief might also use your Social Security number to file a tax return in order to receive a refund. If the thief files the tax return before you do, the IRS will believe you already filed and received your refund if eligible. If your Social Security number is stolen, another individual may use it to get a job. That person’s employer would report income earned to the IRS using your Social Security number, making it appear that you did not report all of your income on your tax return. If you think you may have tax issues because someone has stolen your identity, contact the IRS Identity Protection Unit or call 1-800-908-4490.
Also, you should file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
The IC3 gives victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. IC3 sends every complaint to one or more law enforcement or regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over the matter.
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
The whole situation is odd.
Why would they call your husband to verify a food stamp application? Did the person use your phone number (possibly new since you moved), did they use your new address as well?
Place a consumer alert on your credit reports.
I am more concerned someone has your husbands name phone number and Social Security Number (and whatever else you or your husband provided them over the phone).
Don’t bother with the police, it sounds more as if someone was phishing for information over the phone.
I am a second year tax preparer for H&R Block. Our office has had a few returns get rejected this tax season because the taxpayer’s SSN has already been used.
1)Your tax return will have to be mailed in.
2)Contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490.
3) If you receive a notice from IRS, respond immediately. If you believe someone may have used your SSN fraudulently, notify IRS immediately by responding to the name and number printed on the notice or letter. You will need to fill out the IRS Identity Theft Affidavit Form 14039.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f14039.pdf
The IRS will issue you a personal protection PIN. This PIN will need to be included on next year’s tax return. A return with the stolen SSN that does not have this PIN will be rejected.
See this page at IRS.gov about identity theft.
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=251501,00.html
What a world.
Call the irs directly. Speak to an assistant. They are courteous, helpful, and effective. Explain your situation. You will be fine. (File for an extension with the operator as well, to allow time to get this all figured out.)
Is it strange the initial government employee couldn’t figure out the SS number belonged to a different person then the one trying to use it?
If your congresscritter isn’t timely with assistance, I would send this situation to my radio, TV, newspaper. Who knows, they may want to publish this story. That would get the ball rolling.
Noone likes bad press.
Aside from the suggestions you’ve already gotten, I would also sign up for lifelock. http://www.lifelock.com/
It may not help with the fraud that has already taken place, but should stop future ID theft.
You have my sympathy. The same thing happened to my 2010 Fed Tax return. I just received my refund for 2010 a few months ago. They did pay me interest on the delayed refund though.
You can call the IRS at 800-908-4490 which is their ID Theft hotline. They will establish a case for you and will ask you to fill out Form #14039 which is an Identity Theft Affidavit. I had to file my tax return for 2011 manually because my pin numbers were now screwed up. You may have to do the same. Be very aggressive with the IRS in this situation. If they say they will do something in 30 days and it doesn’t happen then get on the phone and ask why they didn’t perform as promised. Keep pushing and you will get results.
The IRS is getting swamped with identity fraud and they are saying that they are taking steps to improve security. They have flagged my SSAN with an “identity theft indicator” which will alert them if any further activity on my SSAN occurs no matter the source.
Go to the IRS website and check out Pub 4535.
Other steps for you to take:
1. File a report with your local police department. Don’t care if it’s their jurisdiction or not. I reported four separate incidents, none of which were local. Make them take the report. You’ll need that the police report number for the next two steps.
2. File a report with the FTC. www.ftc.gov/idtheft Filling out the online form is kind of clunky. As an alternative you can print out a blank form and fill it out manually. Whatever.
3. Contact all 3 credit agencies and file an Extended credit freeze. That way no one gets in to your credit report. Prices for this process vary from state to state and may be zero if you can provide proof that you are a victim of identity fraud.
4. Set up an account with Lifelock. I currently use Trusted ID but am going to switch over to Lifelock when the Trusted ID account is up for renewal.
5. Monitor your credit card accounts and bank accounts very closely, like every day or so.
6. Create very complex passwords for any and all online accounts. I use 1password.com. It’s a program that generates impossible passwords and keeps them organized. Check them out. It’s complicated to get started but once you get the hang of it you’ll wonder how you got along without it.
7. Check out Clark Howard at clarkhoward.com. He has very good advice on consumer issues including identity fraud. He’s the best in the business IMHO.
Just a few ideas for you to consider to ramp up your security and help you get a handle on this identity fraud mess. Good luck.
TG
My husband's SS# was stolen as well but as far as we can tell, it was because of the Marine Corp. We got a letter from them telling us their records were compromised and soon after, the purchasing on our credit began. We were able to file with our local Sheriff's office *but* that's all they've done for us. Everything else, we've done. As others have stated, get life lock, contact the credit agencies and have them flag your number. Be aware that life lock offers different levels of protection. We have the cheapest and it's not foolproof. The quicker you act, the better your result. The thief pulled a credit report and found our bank, they pulled 6k out of our account but we got it back because of our diligence.
Think of everything you have that can be affected and take steps to lock it all down. Change bank accounts, notify credit card accounts make sure your cell phone provider e-mails your phone if any changes or additions are requested to your account. Also, attempts to steal from you will stop but don't let your guard down! It stops long enough for the person to sell your info and new attempts start! Best of luck to you.