Tag Archives: Identity Theft Virginia Police Report

3 Notices From The IRS Indicating An Identity Theft Problem

Disputing Credit Reports, Identity Theft, ,

Identity theft involving IRS tax returns has become an ever increasing problem over the last four years. According to Treasury Department reports, more than five billion dollars in improper refund checks may have been issued to identity thieves in 2011 alone.  If you have an IRS identity theft problem, the agency has established a procedure to assist victims on the identity theft page of the IRS website. As identified on the IRS website, three types of IRS notices can indicate that you may have an identity theft problem with the IRS. The three notices or letters indicating a problem are:

  1. You filed more than one return.
  2. You have a balance due, refund offset, or collection action for a year that you did not file a return.
  3. You received wages from an employer that you do not recognize.

If you receive any of these notices and think that you may be a victim of identity theft, the IRS requests that you take immediate action via an IRS identity theft affidavit.  The details regarding how to complete the affidavit and more information about the process can be found on the IRS website.

If I believed that I had an IRS identity theft problem, after notifying the IRS,  I would also immediately obtain a copy of all three of my credit reports from the credit reporting agencies and look for the signs indicating an identity theft problem on my credit file. If you think that you have been the victim of identity theft, you can review my previous post on the actions that you can take to combat your identity theft problem including links to assist you with identity theft reporting in Virginia.  if you have any questions about how to review your file, I have also discussed how to review your credit file disclosure . For additional questions about identity theft or inaccurate credit reports, you can always contact me at 703-390-9205.

 

The Four Things You Must Provide To Invoke Your Identity Theft Blocking Rights.

Identity Theft,

Unfortunately, when I meet with identity theft victims in my Reston, Virginia office, most do not understand the necessary steps that they must take to recover from the problems associated with identity theft.  A previous blog post discussed what you should do if you are the victim of identity theft which included police contact information so that identity theft victims in Richmond, Henrico, Stafford, Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, or Alexandria may obtain identity theft police reports. This post will describe the protections that identity theft victims have under the FCRA’s identity theft blocking statute, 15 U.S.C. 1681c-2.

The identity theft blocking statute is a mechanism that allows identity theft victims to block identity theft related accounts from reporting on their credit report.  By invoking the block, the victim can begin the process of recovering their good credit history.  To invoke the block, the FCRA requires that the identity theft victim provide four things to a consumer reporting agency:

  1. appropriate proof of identity;
  2. a copy of the identity theft report;
  3. identification of the accounts related to the identity theft; and
  4. a statement from the consumer that the accounts are not related to any transaction by the consumer.

If a consumer provides this information, the CRA must block the identified information within four business days. Next, the CRA has to notify the creditors of the block including the dates that the block will remain in effect. Because various exceptions to the requirements exist in the statute, an identity theft victim would be wise to consult with a lawyer that specializes in identity theft issues.  I am always happy to speak with identity theft victims at 703-390-9205.