Don’t count on the IRS to tell you…
There are millions of immigrants in the United State. Many of them are here illegally.
In order for illegal immigrants to get employment, very often they use fake IDs that include real social security numbers—stolen from real American taxpayers.
Unfortunately, although the IRS knows the numbers are stolen, the agency has failed to inform the taxpayers whose social security numbers were stolen, according to the Washington Times.
The IRS has discovered more than 1 million Americans whose Social Security numbers were stolen by illegal immigrants, but officials never bothered to tell the taxpayers themselves, the agency’s inspector general said in a withering new report released Tuesday.
Investigators first alerted the IRS to the problem five years ago, but it’s still not fixed, the inspector general said, and a pilot program meant to test a solution was canceled — and fell woefully short anyway.
As a result, most taxpayers don’t learn that their identities have been stolen and their Social Security files may be screwed up.
Alas, the wheels of government turn so well, they should be made of blocks. But, we digress…
Having one’s social security number stolen can be a huge problem (obviously).
A stolen SSN lets the thief, or the person he or she sells it to, do almost everything a legitimate SSN holder can do — and more. By assuming a real person’s name and SSN, a thief can steal property and money from that person. If an identity-theft victim’s name and SSN are used by criminals, it’s the victim whom the police will be looking for.
“You can close a credit card if it is compromised,” said Adam Dolby, vice president of business development at Oslo, Norway-based Encap Security, which specializes in security for the banking and retail sectors. “But the problem is, you can’t close your SSN.”
Read What to Do If Your Social Security Number Is Stolen.
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