January 21, 2020 - The SSN is used as a personal identifier, either in the application or record keeping processes, by most Federal and state agencies administering benefit programs, the United States Internal Revenue Service, many state Departments of Motor Vehicles, credit corporations and insurance companies. Accordingly, the SSN is the key to unlimited opportunities for fraud and abuse. The SSA is strengthening its procedures dealing with the issuance of SSNs and has made a firm commitment to vigorously investigate SSN misuse.

Whether it is to steal your identity, misuse your benefits while serving as your payee, or selling you services that we provide for free, we have the power to investigate and shut down these criminals if you report them to us. Take the time to read about some of the more common types of Social Security fraud that could impact you directly, and learn how to recognize, prevent, and report them. Do you suspect someone of committing fraud, waste, or abuse against Social Security?

season and discover that two returns have been filed using the same SSN.

In addition, we do not have a good ... but these are not all-encompassing. For example, in a recent report, we projected that almost 100,000 non-citizens obtained SSNs in calendar year 2000 with false documents....

June 17, 2025 - With tax season looming and the federal government in a partial shutdown, an old story gained new popularity.

The IRS has many security measures in place to verify the accuracy of tax returns and the validity of Social Security numbers (SSNs) or individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITINs) submitted.

Scammers may mention overdue taxes in addition to threatening to cancel the person’s SSN.

December 16, 2020 - In fact, he said that the IRS actually had an interest in helping the illegal immigrants to crook these rules. In fairness, perhaps it's just the 'that's not my department' response that abounds in big government. Perhaps this just isn't the IRS's problem, but it sure seems odd to have any agency chief encouraging illegal immigrant theft of SSNs.

A description of employment-related identity theft and actions for victims to take.

Cybercriminals who successfully steal Forms W-2 immediately attempt to monetize their thefts. Criminals may immediately attempt to file fraudulent tax returns claiming a refund. Or they may sell the data on the Internet's black market sites to others who file fraudulent tax returns or use the ...

August 7, 2025 - Synthetic Identity Theft: Criminals may combine your SSN with other false information to create a new identity, which can be used for financial fraud, tax scams, or other illicit activities.

Here's what to look for and how to report it: Indicators of abusive or fraudulent returns may be unsatisfactory responses to filing status questions, multiple returns with the same address, and missing or incomplete Schedules A and C income and expense documentation. A "fraudulent return" is a return in which the individual is attempting to file using someone else's name or SSN on the return or where the taxpayer is presenting documents or information that have no basis in fact.

The Office of the Inspector General is directly responsible for meeting the statutory mission of promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of Social Security Administration programs and operations and to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement ...

December 3, 2024 - Learn what tax identity theft is, how to protect yourself from it, and what to do if it happens to you.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing · crimes in America. Scammers use your

If so, you need to know the IRS is prohibited from telling you who claimed your dependent(s). Due to federal privacy laws, the IRS can only disclose the return information if the victim’s name and SSN are listed as either the primary or secondary taxpayer on the fraudulent return.

May 13, 2024 - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun the process of informing over 70,000 taxpayers that their confidential tax information was leaked in a widespread breach by a former IRS contractor.

If we find duplicate claims, we notify you by mail or error message if e-filing.

Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, and submit it to the IRS with a copy of your valid government-issued ID. This officially alerts the IRS and allows them to investigate.

Tax-related identity theft is when someone uses your Social Security number to file a false tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. Your tax account is most at risk if the data breach involves both your SSN and financial data, such as wages.