East County resident battles identity theft

MANATEE COUNTY — Over the last few years, Joe Comforto’s mailbox has become a receptacle for things he never ordered — and never wished to find.

Magazines sent to his address under a different name. Letters from credit-card companies explaining they couldn’t authenticate his information and would not issue him a new card. And a plethora of other reminders his identity has been stolen.

And just last month, when Comforto’s accountant went to file his taxes, he discovered they already had been filed. However, neither Comforto — nor the federal government — knows by whom.

Comforto reported what he and his accountant discovered to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. His identity also was used by an unknown person to attempt to open a credit-card account, the Sheriff’s Office report stated.

“What happens is nobody wins in a situation like this,” Comforto said pointing to men’s fitness magazine addressed to a Charles Crawford that arrived in his mailbox. “We lose. The government loses. These magazine (companies) lose.”

“I feel so violated,” he said. “We feel so violated. It’s obviously (become) an epidemic.”

Since the tax season began, the Sheriff’s Office has filed more than a dozen identity-theft incident reports in the East County alone. The majority of those involve the suspect filing a false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service.

Mike Dobzinski, spokesman for the IRS in Florida, said criminals create the returns by creating fraudulent W-2 forms and other documents once they obtain an individual’s Social Security number, for example.

“Some of the sources criminals have used are schools, hospitals and other institutions,” Dobzinksi said. “They’re either somebody inside, or they can obtain the information online, or they can buy it from somebody. There’re different mechanisms they can use.

“We empathize with each and every one of those people who go through it, because it can be a time-intensive process (to correct),” Dobzinski said.

And the issue of identity theft — as it relates to tax fraud, in particular — garnered national attention as Steven Miller, deputy commissioner for Services and Enforcement of the IRS, testified before the Senate Committee on Finance and the Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth March 20.

In his speech, Miller noted the IRS has seen a “significant increase” in the refund fraud schemes and schemes involving identity theft, in particular.

Although Comforto’s experience with identity theft began about five years ago, this year was the first time he became a victim of tax fraud.

“Last year, we filed our taxes early enough they couldn’t get us,” his wife, Doreen Comforto, said, noting the couple was only going to get about $100 back. “This year, unfortunately (we didn’t). The horrible part is the burden of proof is on our shoulders, not the perpetrator’s. This whole situation can wear a person out. We’re losing big-time. Everything we do, we have to double-, triple- and quadruple-check.”

Although the IRS recognizes it cannot stop identity theft completely, it has launched several programs to address the issue.

“Fighting identity theft will be an ongoing battle for the IRS and one where we cannot afford to let up,” Miller said. “The identity theft landscape is constantly changing, as identity thieves continue to create new ways of stealing personal information and using it for their gain. We at the IRS must continually review our processes and policies to ensure that we are doing everything possible to minimize the incidence of identity theft and to help those who find themselves victimized by it.”

Joe Comforto said he does not blame the IRS or other agencies for his ordeal but does wish more could be done to prevent identity theft and to help individuals like him, who have had their identity stolen.

As a victim, however, Comforto said he can help raise awareness of the issue so that others, hopefully, can avoid situations like his own.

“Make sure you double-check every credit card you get,” Comforto said, noting individuals should question even mere dollars that seem unaccounted for in billing statements. “In doing nothing, you’re as bad as the person doing something to you. You’ve got to make people aware. I love my magazines, but I’m not Charles Crawford.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

IDENTITY THEFT TIPS
• The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or social-media tools to request personal or financial information. The IRS does not send emails stating you are being electronically audited or that you are getting a refund.

If you receive a scam email claiming to be from the IRS, forward it to the IRS at [email protected].

• Identity thieves access your personal information by many different means, including: stealing your wallet or purse; posing as someone who needs information about you through a phone call or email; looking through your trash for personal information; or accessing information you provide to an unsecured Internet site.

• If your Social Security number is stolen, another individual may use it to get a job. That person’s employer may report income earned by them to the IRS using your SSN, thus making it appear you did not report all of your income on your tax return. When this occurs, you should contact the IRS to show the income is not yours.

• Your identity may have been stolen if a letter from the IRS indicates more than one tax return was filed for you or the letter states you received wages from an employer you don’t know.

• If your tax records are not currently affected by identity theft, but you believe you may be at risk because of a lost wallet, questionable credit-card activity or credit report, you need to provide the IRS with proof of your identity. You should submit a copy of your valid government-issued identification, such as a Social Security card, driver’s license or passport, along with a copy of a police report and/or a completed IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, which should be faxed to the IRS at 1 (978) 684-4542.

• Show your Social Security card to your employer when you start a job or to your financial institution for tax reporting purposes. Do not routinely carry your card or other documents that display your SSN.

• While preparing your tax return for electronic filing, make sure to use a strong password to protect the data file. Once your return has been e-filed, save the file to a CD or flash drive and then delete the personal return information from your hard drive.

BY THE NUMBERS
• The IRS reports more than 460,000 taxpayers have been affected by identity theft since 2008.

• With respect to these taxpayers, the IRS estimates it protected $1.4 billion in refunds from being sent to thieves in calendar year 2011.

• In 2011, the IRS identified and prevented the issuance of more than $14 billion in fraudulent refunds in total.

— Testimony by Steven Miller, deputy commissioner for Services and Enforcement of the IRS

Stolen wallet?: If you become the victim of identity theft outside of the tax system or believe you are at risk due to a lost/stolen purse or wallet, or suspicious credit-card activity, for example, you can contact the IRS at the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1 (800) 908-4990.