After death and taxes, they say, identity theft is becoming the third inevitability of life.
Just ask the attorney general of the United States. Eric Holder's name and Social Security number, among scores of others', were appropriated last year by two men who then turned Holder from the nation's top law enforement official into a low-wage Walmart worker, filed a tax return in his name and asked that the refund be sent to the fake Holder.
Federal agents caught the scam in progress before the "Holder" refund could be fully processed, and the suspects, former high school friends at Southwest DeKalb High who are now 21, have both pleaded guilty to identity theft fraud. For Holder, the Atlanta scam apparently had few consequences.
For other taxpayers, however, it can be devastating. Say you've just filed your taxes and are counting on a prompt refund. But what if someone else has used your information to file a fake return and has already collected a refund in your name?
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