Identity Theft...one reason I am glad 2017 is almost over.

Identity Theft

December 31, 2017

I can’t wait for 2017 to end for many reasons.  A very large number of W-2s were stolen in February or March from our University (or the company that handles the W-2s).  The only good thing about it is the University recognized the problem quickly and alerted the IRS (or this is what the IRS told me).  The other item is apparently because I have other income from other sources that have been claimed nearly yearly for over 10 years, this plus the University’s actions flagged my return.  The IRS person who helped me said the thief got pretty close with respect to matching the return to my normal returns in the past.   

So we have learned in 2017 that despite trying to be careful with your data as well as passwords and other items, someone else’s failure can completely mess you up.  I do not have any good answers to this.  I am troubled that my entire W-2 was stolen including all the SSN information, my birthdate, my address, etc.  This is useful and sensitive information and likely has been sold many times now.  There is no way to know.  I’m not going to go out and look on the “dark” web.  The former president of Estonia is a fellow at Stanford University and there was a very interesting article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal about his recommendations for dealing with identity theft and cybercrime.  I agree with many of them.  It’s time to stop these crimes.  They can be prevented. 

I was lucky that I dealt with my taxes before I left for the FDA in the spring.  Normally I have a bad habit of waiting too long even though there is no reason for me to wait till April.  I was glad that I was able to deal with the paperwork before I left for a month.