Definition

• Employment identity theft occurs when someone steals your Social Security number and other personal information in order to secure employment. Employment-related fraud also occurs when your personal information is stolen from employee records, or through job application scams, and is used to secure credit and access to financial accounts.
  
  

Significance

• Someone who has stolen your identity in order to secure employment is not likely pay income taxes. As a result, the Internal Revenue Service may come after you for taxes on income you did not earn. If your employee records are stolen to help someone secure account information, your credit rating and financial future may be jeopardized.
  
  

Next Steps

• If you have been a victim of employment identity theft, first file a police report. Then submit that report and other information to the IRS proving the theft. Also contact a national credit reporting agency to address any credit implications resulting from the identity theft.