My identity was hijacked. Unfortunately, that's an all too common occurrence in Glendale. And unfortunately in this Internet age, names and numbers are all also too readily available.
My first indication that something was amiss was when I received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service. It looked like an income tax filing under my name and numbers was being audited. I always jointly file with my husband, so I didn't understand why my filing was separated from his.
To cut to the chase, one call to the IRS — the customer service line is (800) 829-1040 — and I was told that the letter I received was called a "Questionable Refund Letter." The agent said in June a $7,000 refund had been sent in my name. The agent also said policy forbade them from telling me where it was sent. I assured the agent that I never received the money.