Someone filed a tax return as me
You usually find out when your own return bounces. The fix is a specific IRS form and an IP PIN so it cannot happen again.
The tell
You e-file and it is rejected because "a return already exists" for your Social Security number — or the IRS writes asking about a return you never filed. A criminal filed early using your number to grab a refund.
What to do
- Still file your real return — on paper if e-file is blocked, with Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) attached.
- Get an IP PIN at irs.gov/ippin. It is a six-digit code that changes yearly; without it, nobody — including a criminal with your SSN — can file as you. Once you have one, keep using it every year.
- Report at identitytheft.gov and freeze your credit — a stolen SSN is rarely used only once.
What not to do
Do not respond to calls, texts, or emails claiming to be "IRS agents" about the case. The IRS communicates by postal mail. Anyone demanding payment by gift card or wire on the phone is a scammer, every time.
Not sure how exposed you are? Our free check shows which leaks your email is in — about one second, and you keep the answer. And if you are in the middle of something right now, a person answers at contact@protectindiana.org.