A 75-year-old LaPorte woman was unable to file her taxes because someone else used her personal information to file a claim.
LaPorte City Police Department officers were made aware of the fraud incident this week. The victim told police that her nephew attempted to file her taxes, and the filing was rejected. She added that she was an Anthem Health Care customer, and her information was among those stolen in a recent massive hacking incident.
If anyone runs into the same issue, LaPorte officers encourage that a report be filed with law enforcement. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov or call the Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338. The next step is to call one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on credit records. Close any accounts that may have been tampered with or opened without permission.
If your Social Security Number is compromised and you know or suspect you are a victim of tax-related identity theft, respond immediately to any IRS notice, complete an Identity Theft Affidavit on irs.gov, and continue to pay taxes and file your tax return, even if it has to be done on paper.
Call (219) 362-9446 for more information.
