Victims of identity theft often feel shocked upon discovering that someone compromised their identity. Commonly, they wonder how the identity thief procured personal information. Did someone steal mail from a Florida home’s mailbox? Was sensitive material placed in the trash? Or, was information accessed at a government agency. Surprisingly, a tax agency could provide info to identity thieves.
Accidents could occur when a tax office employee accidentally gives information to someone fishing for information. People do make mistakes, even egregious ones at times.
Sensitive tax information may end up mailed to the wrong address or disposed of improperly. Again, errors do occur sometimes.
And then there might be instances where a worker might break the law. Allegations exist that a tax agency employee used turned in driver’s licenses and state identifications, ones intended for destruction, were used to make fake identifications.
And then there are phishing schemes. Emails and direct phone calls from fraudulent entities claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service abound. Tax time might see an uptick in such behavior.
Of course, the compromising of private and personal information could occur at offices besides tax collection ones. Any state or local government office might be the source of a breach. Mistakes can happen anywhere, and the entity could be a private commercial one, as well.
In general, people must be vigilant and protect themselves from identity theft. Perhaps subscribing to a monitoring service may be a good plan.
Someone charged with identity theft-related crimes might find it valuable to meet with a criminal defense attorney. Someone accused of identity theft may face prison time, as the charges are serious ones. An attorney could work with a client to devise an agreeable strategy.
Sometimes, it may be wise to plea bargain and other times to face a jury trial. Each situation is different and might require a different strategy.
