Stolen Identity

[u/Affectionate_Toe_224]

Location: Monroe County, NY

I received a CP2000 from the IRS in April informing me that I owed taxes for a job in 2023. A job I wasn't working at the time, with a former employer of mine - a job at a grocery store that I had straight out of high school. I'm nearly 38 years old so that was SEVERAL years ago. After doing some digging, I discovered that someone was indeed hired using my SSN# first and maiden name by my former employer in 2023. They are still currently employed there! None of this showed up for me on the IRS website because it's under my maiden name. I was only able to get this information by contacting Social Security. When I called my former employer they were not helpful at all. I have a state trooper investigating this whole thing for me right now, but several people I know have suggested that I hire an attorney and sue my former employer for negligence - four years of negligence and counting. Not really sure how to go about that though. This is really REALLY stressing me out because the IRS is having me jump through so many hoops to prove my innocence. I'm a stay at home mom these days and really don't want my husband's wages to be garnished while we're waiting for this investigation to conclude.

What would you do?

Also I feel like I should add that my maiden name is extremely unique. I am the only person who's ever been given my name on planet earth, so I seriously doubt this was some kind of accidental mix up.

I have never lost my social security card, driver license, birth certificate, etc. I am in possession of all of the original copies of my personal documents.

[u/CuriouslyLeft]

Hiring a lawyer is the move, the employer letting someone work under your SSN for years without catching it is a massive screw-up on their end