Someone sent in a tax refund request with her name and SS info, etc. It's already been paid by the IRS! So now I need to apply and send lots of supporting documents. I'm going to include her driver license, which is expired (since she hasn't driven in 10 years and has dementia in an ALF). I'm her POA and healthcare surrogate, so copies of those forms will be included, I'm sure. Anything I'm missing? And does my mom need an updated photo ID, considering her age, where she resides and her health situation? Thanks for any thoughts.
I think something with her signature might help so it can be compared against the hacker's signature. Perhaps just the signature portions of past returns might be appropriate?
If you have the time, would you mind sharing how you discovered this? And similar details to help others here who might be concerned about a similar hack?
E.g., had your mother actually filed a return, and if so, was it done by an agency?Was it sent regular, certified or by overnight mail?
How did you find out it was hacked?
Have any other accounts of hers been hacked as well? Is the IRS taking action against the hacker?
Any information you can share would I suspect be helpful to the rest of us, certainly to me as hacking is always a concern.
I hope you're able to successfully resolve this, and that the IRS is able to locate the hacker and take appropriate action.
Attach a letter explaining that you are her rep. That she has been diagnosed with Dementia and is living in an ALF. And how you can be contacted. A cover letter explaing the situation.
You may want to find out if Mom still needs to file. My Mom received SS, $1500, and a small pension, $200. Which gave her about 20k a year in income. Since most of her income was from SS, she no longer had to file.
And she fell under the income limit allowed. She had no investments. Her AL was being paid from savings.