The IRS has recently ratcheted up its investigations of identity theft across the country. In January 2013, the IRS and local law enforcement cracked down on 389 identity theft suspects, resulting in over 700 enforcement actions from coast to coast.

Identity thieves often steal taxpayer identities to complete and receive tax refunds from the federal and state governments.  The thieves then attempt to cash the refund checks and defraud not only the taxpayer victim but also the government.

In 2012, the IRS deployed 3000 new revenue officers to combat the huge number of identity theft cases the IRS faces each year.

Taxpayers victimized by fraud should contact the IRS directly and report any suspicion or actual identity theft immediately. Unwinding the effects of identity theft can be daunting and time consuming.

More information on IRS Criminal Investigation efforts is available on IRS fact sheet FS-2013-4.

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