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by John_Deutzman from New York City

Last Post 8 days, 3 hours Ago


I.D. Theft Out of Control
Mar 31, 2008 | 3:59 PM
Category: News
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Regarding my latest investigative report, we're not sure whether or not this is ID theft yet but you can understand why the family of 3-year-old girl is worried. The problem with ID theft is that it always takes people forever to convince the authorities they are the victim, in the meantime a person's life can be destroyed.

Investigations into ID theft can take a long time and agencies from the local police to the IRS and FBI have to set their priorities. They simply don't have the manpower to devote to the thousands of suspected cases out there.

You would think that the IRS computers should be able to send a serious red flag to the agency when duplicate social security numbers are being used and that everyone who's using the same number automatically becomes a suspect. Agents should be able figure out who the real person is and who the impostor is relatively quickly.

However, from what I can tell, it's not as simple as that. The IRS has to treat every return like it's legit until they have good reason to believe otherwise, once they have reason to suspect someone of fraud they have to prove that it's intentional and not a mistake. They also spend time seeing if there is a pattern with the same suspect. One case of ID theft can turn into an organized ring of ID thieves.

I've seen so much of this stuff that I have become completely paranoid. So every morning I check my bank accounts and credit card account. I also subscribe to a service that lets me know if anyone might have used my social security number to open an account.

Unfortunately, you have to devote lots of energy to prevent this from happening to you and if it does happen you will feel completely helpless like this family.

Love to hear your thoughts!

Meantime, here is information from the IRS about contacting a taxpayer advocate:

Leo O'Brien Federal Bldg., Room 354
1 Clinton Square, Albany, NY 12207
518-427-5413

10 Metro Tech Center
625 Fulton St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-488-2080

201 Como Park Blvd.
Buffalo, NY 14227-1416
716-686-4850

290 Broadway, 5th Fl.
Manhattan, NY 10007
212-436-1011

Or you call the Taxpayer Advocate Service toll-free phone number: 877-777-4778.

16 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 16
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jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Apr 1, 2008 | 9:44 PM

Hi John

I'm glad you touched on this subject because ID theft is the fastest growing crime!

I had a mortgage client that refused to give me her social security number because her ID was stolen before. She actually had to fly to Las Vegas to show a doctor her breasts to prove that she was not the woman who received breast implants in her name! That was the only item charged in her name that she could physically prove. The rest remain unresolved.

I was concerned too, so I purchased spyware software myself to put my spy protection software to the test. The software records all computer activity; all text typed and passwords entered, as well as a slide show of screens viewed. My spyware protection software did not even detect it as it was recording my activity!!!
Some spyware programs even work remotely so the spy never needs access to your computer at all. The spy receives an email every 30 minutes you are online. The email has an attachment of every keystroke and screen shots as well. Even AOL's spyware protection didn't detect it running!

I've learned to shred all my mail, especially pre-approved credit offers, and put my mail on vacation hold when I go away:

https://dunsapp.usps.gov/HoldMail.jsp

I keep photo copies of every credit card, front & back, in case I have to cancel them all.
If I get a call asking for personal information, I ask the caller to give me their number so I can call them back. If their number is not listed under the agency they claim they are from, they do not get my personal information.

If ID theft happen
jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Apr 1, 2008 | 9:45 PM

If ID theft happens to anyone you know, tell them to immediately report it to the three largest credit bureaus (Equifax: 800-525-6285, Experian: 888-397-3742, and Trans Union: 800-680-7289). They will put an alert on the credit report to prevent additional fraudulent accounts opened in your name. Next, contact the Federal Trade Commission’s ID theft counselors at 1-877-ID-THEFT

Looking forward to seeing your segment...


Jane
htbone51 read my blog view my photos
Apr 1, 2008 | 10:38 PM

I saw the report...it's a shame....the IRS says that they can not help this family after 4 years of this crime.....But if you owe them back tax's, they will go after you faster than you can say oops...of that you can be sure of.

htbone51
Brooklyn, NY
jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Apr 1, 2008 | 10:51 PM

Such a cute kid!!!
That is a good point----4 years, and no one bothered to investigate the problem? I bet they will now. Now that they know thousands of people want to know how that happened.....I think you just forced them to look into it John.


Jane
bmahon
Apr 1, 2008 | 11:09 PM

This has just happened to my tax return as well for the second year in a row. Before I begin, I do wonder if there is a common place where these ID's of children are being stolen?
My wife and I don't have proof, but feel strongly that it was stolen from a hospital. I went through each step that I was supposed to last year and I was told that the person would be located. Well, it wasn't it happened again. I spent a frustrating week on the phone with the IRS, who couldn't be less helpful. John, I think you are being too forgiving of the IRS. If I owed them money I am sure they would find me so why can't they find someone that is obviously committing a crime. They are probably losing tens of thousands of dollars to ID Theft. Maybe they should hire more people to be appointed for these issues and if people actually get punished for it, it may deter people from doing it. For this to happen to anyone more than once is absurd. Since the IRS is dragging their feet and I obviously can't count on them I am left with no other choice then to "try" and have my daughter's SS# stolen. Which I am sure will be another nightmare.
Thanks for getting the story out there.
Brian
serendipity75
Apr 2, 2008 | 12:09 AM

I understand where that family is coming from. The IRS has audit me for 2004 and 2005 telling me I have to prove my two children are mine. My son was born in 2004 and they asked me if someone else tried to claim him, no one else has his #. My taxes are being withheld now for 2007 year. I don't understand why they can't fix the problem. I sent all info needed. It's RIDICULOUS!
THANKS FOR YOUR STORY. I GUESS I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE.
John_Deutzman read my blog
Apr 2, 2008 | 5:25 AM

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the helpful comments. I had my credit card info stolen once. Thanks to an alert person ar Best Buy they detected something fishy going on when someone tried to order something on line. Within a few minutes I was able to zero in on the person and the apartment in Texas involved in the crime.I also noticed they paid a utility bill in Texas with my card and received cash at a Western Union. I called Western Union right away so that they could pull the tape from their security system but they refused to help without a court order. Long story short, the cops were great but couldn't prove the case thanks to Western Union.
Someday when I retired I'm going to take a little trip to Texas.

John
ArunKristian read my blog view my photos
Apr 2, 2008 | 3:17 PM

John--

Interesting story and great blog...

I'm sure that readers would want to know if you recommend any services to help prevent credit card fraud and/or ID theft... LifeLock has been advertising like crazy, but they've also been heavily criticized for their practices and indeed I believe that one of the credit bureaus is even suing them for something... Any thoughts?

Thanks...

Arun/MyFoxNY.com
jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Apr 2, 2008 | 8:44 PM

My friend's cell phone was stolen last week when she placed it on a store counter and looked away for a minute.
Her SIM card was loaded with her entire client database, and she never backed it up. She checked her phone activity online, and saw that the thief made a call to Rite Aid, but that didn't help her much.
If cell phones have GPS's inside, I imagine the phone company should be able to locate the stolen phone, but they say they can't. Do you think that is true? Or do they just want to sell her a new phone?


Jane
John_Deutzman read my blog
Apr 2, 2008 | 10:56 PM

Arun,

I use equifax and pay the about 80 bucks a year. they e mail me immediately when there's the slightest hint of trouble, including when my credit card balance is higher than normal.

J.Max
If the phone is on it can be tracked down. The problem is that you probably would want to shut it down immediately after it's stolen. My guess is that once you cut the thief off the gps can't be traced.
I know for a fact that cops use cell phone gps and even cell phone without gps to find someone they are looking for. All it takes is cooperation from the bad guys cell phone company.
jmax123 read my blog view my photos
Apr 3, 2008 | 9:34 AM

They told her they can't, without even trying; implying they have no way of tracking the GPS.
It makes no sense to me. You would think they would want to help catch a thief. There are probably hundreds of cell phones stolen every day that could be easily traced.
She bought her phone while in Japan for $400., and claims it is a rare phone, so I told her to check EBay to see if it was recently listed for sale......maybe she could buy it back.


Jane
Sanctus read my blog view my photos
Apr 3, 2008 | 11:53 AM

Great story and post! This is a huge problem today and there is very little being done about it. I've had my identity stolen in the past and despite filing a police report I still get occasional calls from different agencies trying to collect money. It is really ridiculous how we have no real protection from our government against this crime. When I heard the IRS guy saying, "uh, it's not that simple..." I wanted to throttle him! It's THEIR problem because of a flaw in THEIR system, but we have to suffer the consequences. It just amazes me that politicians will go on and on about what they will do for us and yet, nothing is ever really done about identity theft. Does Bloomberg have an answer? Nope!, Bush…nope, Clinton...nope, Obama...nope, McCain...nope! The message to US taxpaying citizens? “We, your elected officials, don't give a crap about identity theft.” And remember, when it comes to identity theft victims, we are guilty until proven innocent. Ridiculous and shameful! There should be a law that companies have to conclusively prove that a person used or purchased a service. It would force their standards to go higher and it would eliminate most of the identity theft. This entire subject just makes me furious!

Daniel
John_Deutzman read my blog
Apr 3, 2008 | 12:27 PM

Daniel,

This is why my mom and dad mistrusted computers and credit cards. Those two items are the source of most of this mess!

John
Sanctus read my blog view my photos
Apr 3, 2008 | 5:39 PM

Good point on the part of your parents. It's really the people who have figured out how to misuse computers to obtain illicit information and abuse their access to credit information that make most of the mess. There are many measures one can take personally to prevent identity theft, but we really need some fundamental changes in our laws that make it more difficult. I personally have a "permanent" fraud alert with all of the credit reporting agencies, so I get contacted if somebody tries to use my credit in ways that my own credit history does not reflect. I look at identity theft as one of the worst types of crime because when you strip everything else away, your identity is all you have and all you will be judged by on a daily basis. I think people who engage in identity theft are scum who deserve the harshest punishment allowed under our Constitution.

Daniel
quisa22
Apr 3, 2008 | 8:21 PM

Hi John, this is Andrea. Thank you for helping me to put this unfortunate situation out there for everyone to know about. Had you not stepped in they still would not have heard my voice. Finally, I am seeing some progress. Fter reading the other responses, I feel the need to have a fraud alert for my family. Please let me have a few suggestions. Thanks everyone for your input.
John_Deutzman read my blog
Apr 3, 2008 | 10:43 PM

Andrea,

Thank you for giving us a great story that is informative for others. If you read some of the previous blogs people have some suggestions for protecting yourself.
You can use any of the legitmate services out there. I subscribe to equifax and the seem to be on top of things. Even if my credit card balance goes up more than expected, they r mail me right away. I'm sure there are many other good services out there.

John
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John_Deutzman

John Deutzman, a New York native, has been working as a reporter at Fox 5 News since September of 2001. John has won 12 career Emmys and has received 28 Emmy nominations. He's known for his aggressive and at times humorous style when catching bad guys and exposing scams for the Fox 5 Investigative Unit. John's stories have resulted in arrests, businesses being shut down and dozens victims getting their money back from scam artists. Before moving back to New York, John spent 11 years in Miami, first as a sports reporter but when hurricane Andrew struck, John was thrown into news reporting and evenutally made the full time switch to news. John also had stints in Binghamton,New York and Springfield,Massachusetts
. A native of Smithtown,Long Island, John is an 11th-generation Long Islander. He describes himself as a 50/50 mix of his two grandfathers. One grandfather was a journalist who owned the town paper, the "Smithtown Messenger" and the other was one of the first cops in town who had a reputation for being tough and crazy but fair.

Member Since: 6/1/2006