Immigration Non-Enforcement: How The IRS Screws Citizens Over When Their Identity Is Stolen
They won't even tell you if they see that somebody else is using your social security number. They are prohibited from doing it!
Shocking blog item by Mark Krikorian at NRO about how the Obama administration's aggressive enabling of illegal immigrants in this country and the disgusting part the IRS is playing in this -- at the expense of taxpaying citizens.
He got the information from an extensive report from the investigative unit of the Indianapolis NBC affiliate, "Secret IRS policy hides identity theft from victims." Bob Segall is the "13 Investigates" reporter.
The findings of the 13 Investigates report include:
•The IRS accepts millions of tax returns - and issues tax refunds - even when taxpayer documents show clear warning signs of identity theft•Confidential IRS policies instruct IRS employees not to tell taxpayers when someone else uses their social security number to earn income
•The IRS allows illegal immigrants to "borrow" social security numbers that do not legally belong to them
•The IRS is discontinuing a program to notify taxpayers when their social security number is used by someone else to gain employment
Here's a sample of what goes on:
What action does the agency take when it learns someone else used your Social Security number to get work and earn a paycheck?"We're not allowed to say anything. Not a word," explained an IRS whistleblower.
"You were told to ignore it?" I asked, making sure I heard correctly.
"Yes. Identity theft is a crime. It affects real people in a lot of ways. But we are not supposed to do anything. Just let it go," she said. "I talk to these people every day who don't understand exactly what happened to them, and it's heartbreaking."
As somebody who's had her identity stolen (which I chronicle in I SEE RUDE PEOPLE: One woman's battle to beat some manners into impolite society), I am especially appalled by this.
Having frozen my credit in 2006, I didn't go through quite as huge a hell as many do, but it is still a time-sucking, terrible violation that leaves you feeling financially vulnerable and vulnerable in general for years afterwards...if not for as long as you live.
via @kausmickey
You call them "illegal immigrants." How do you know they are all immigrants?
Bill O Rights at November 9, 2015 12:14 PM
What, they're just visiting and "borrowing" social security numbers for fun?
Amy Alkon at November 9, 2015 12:18 PM
And no, the people stealing identities aren't all illegal immigrants, but if you read the articles, you'll see that this is a huge problem vis a vis the need to have a SS# for a job, the making up of fake ones, etc.
Amy Alkon at November 9, 2015 12:20 PM
Bill has a point - they could be citizens who are, perhaps, not using their real identity for some reason. Of course, I'm sure there's nothing illegal going on in that case...
Shannon at November 9, 2015 12:21 PM
Read the investigative team's piece at the link.
Amy Alkon at November 9, 2015 12:22 PM
Oh my niece has a hell of a story about her SS# being used by someone who works for the California Chamber of Commerce. Because the person who used my niece's SS# also used her address, my niece was able to obtain copies of the tax returns. But guess what - the police have done nothing with the investigation even though they know where this person works. My niece hasn't seen a tax refund in 4 years because of this situation, even though she caught it in the first year, and there's a flag on her SS# with the IRS. Every year she has to jump through crazy hoops to prove who she is in order to file her return, and then they hold up whatever refund she has coming.
sara at November 9, 2015 3:37 PM
Not to defend the IRS, but reporting identity theft would require them to make a pretty specific determination of who the rightful owner of the identity was.
Considering how mobile the US population is. I imagine with two or more claims, they could devote lots of man hours and still not get it right.
As someone who has done many many tax returns, I don't know if there is a way without a search warrant, and several other judicial tools, unavailable to me, that I could make the correct determination more than fifty percent of the time.
If some little Hispanic lady comes up as *Swede Swenson* that might be a pretty good indicator, but doesn't constitute legal proof.
The IRS as an organization, is a pathetic piece of shit, but I believe them attempting to go after indentity theft might violate several federal and state laws, and is a job they are totally unequipped for.
Isab at November 9, 2015 3:41 PM
You're assuming they would have to figure this out without help. If the IRS were to contact me saying two people are using the SS number, please provide documentation, I would have no trouble providing such documentation that I was the real person (birth certificate, SS card, passport, etc). The person fraudulently using my number would most likely have a harder time proving they were the real me.
The actual owners of the SS numbers would have plenty of incentive to clear up who is the real person. The IRS would have to care though, and I don't think they want to. It would cut into the collections.
Jeff at November 9, 2015 10:02 PM
" I would have no trouble providing such documentation that I was the real person (birth certificate, SS card, passport, etc). The person fraudulently using my number would most likely have a harder time proving they were the real me."
A harder time yes, but no piece of paper actually *proves* your identity. It only supports your claim to be you.
If the identity thief gets ahold of one *real* document with your name on it, it isn't difficult to build a parallel identity with official documents.
And yes, the IRS wants your money. But the remedy for identity theft does not run through that office.
Isab at November 10, 2015 4:50 AM
The root of the problem is that SS#'s, like credit card numbers, are fundementally insecure and there's nothing you can do to make them secure. The credit card problem is eventually going to be fixed (as soon as the banks accumulate enough fraud losses) by going to a two-factor system where the card generates one-time-use transaction numbers. A similar system could be implemented for Social Security cards, but the problem is, it would then give the government the ability to track everything you do that involves a SS#. I'm not sure what the answer is. Perhaps there's a possible solution in private-sector identification verification.
Cousin Dave at November 10, 2015 6:01 AM
Not to defend the IRS, but reporting identity theft would require them to make a pretty specific determination of who the rightful owner of the identity was.
They could just give a heads up that a ss# is being used by more than one person.
Social security numbers are terribly insecure and this is a terribly stupid system.
Amy Alkon at November 10, 2015 6:13 AM
They could just give a heads up that a ss# is being used by more than one person.
Social security numbers are terribly insecure and this is a terribly stupid system.
Posted by: Amy Alkon at November 10, 2015 6:13 AM
It wouldn't help anything. There are many other ways that you can figure that out.
Furthermore, as a matter of fairness, those notifications would go to the fraudster as well as the legitimate user of the SSN.
Yes, it is a stupid system, but a truly secure system is incredibly intrusive on everyone's privacy rights. Much like an actually effective gun registration system would be, while doing little or nothing to stop the problems.
Fraud is eternal. It just morphs into a more sophisticated form.
Isab at November 10, 2015 6:29 AM
" those notifications would go to the fraudster as well as the legitimate user of the SSN. "
So? the fraudster already knows, and it might cause them to stop that would be better.
" There are many other ways that you can figure that out. "
Not for some forms of identity theft. If the fraudsters are only using it for employment and taxes and not opening new lines of credit, the IRS would be practically the only way.
Joe J at November 10, 2015 12:17 PM
Yup. Happened to me this year.
After a couple months, the IRS sent me a form that said they might take 6 months to decide what to do.
I'll be contacting my congresscritter shortly - several friends with this problem said that's the only step that makes the IRS seem to act like they care.
What really infuriates me is this is literally a fix that could be implemented in week.
Give me the IRS IT guys Monday, and tell them that they're all fired Friday if it's not fixed for 99% of the problem.
... We'll have it fixed Tuesday at the latest, with long pizza breaks for lunch.
Part of the "problem" is that the illegals using stolen SSN's - are putting in FICA taxes that are currently floating the system.
If they fix the stolen SSN issue, then Social Security goes broker than it is, quicker.
Unix-Jedi at November 10, 2015 1:31 PM
The IRS isn't the only agency to blame for such crimes.
When the Dream Act was passed, the Dept. of Justice told schools that if they saw fraudulent IDs, they were to accept them and say nothing. A while later a neighbor tried to enroll at a local JC and found someone else was already enrolled via her SS# so she couldn't attend. The school wouldn't do anything as "they are not the police".
When California began issuing drivers licenes to illegals, DMV emnployees were told if they saw fraudulent IDs, they were to accept them and issue the licenses. I know several people who had credit cards opened in their names and used. When the victims went to the store they learned that someone with a CA DL and their name and address on them, opened the accounts. The stores reimbursed the victims, but then the rest of us pay for the loss.
Pasadenan at November 13, 2015 8:03 PM
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