9OYS Crime Watch
Tax ID theft reaches into your pocket
Reporter: Greg Gurule
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Identity thieves are hard at work during Arizona's busy tax season, stealing ID numbers and ripping off returns. The thieves use stolen Social Security numbers to file multiple tax returns and the only way victims find out is when they get a warning letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
The ID thieves are often "insiders" who work with your tax return and private financial information. They face years in prison if caught and convicted.
The "red flags" taxpayers should look for are questions from the IRS about jobs you've never worked at or warnings about multiple tax returns being filed on your Tax ID or Social Security Number.
The IRS warns that if it does contact you regarding possible ID theft, it will only do so in the form of a written letter sent through the regular mail but never via email or telephone call.
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