Mar 20, 2026
Vahik Tatoosi was confused after receiving a welcome packet from Uber back in September, since the San Fernando Valley resident says he never applied for a job at the ridesharing company.
That confusion turned to panic a few months later when tax forms detailing nearly $7,000 earned from gig work in his name suddenly appeared in his mailbox.
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“This is scary,” Tatoosi told CBS News Los Angeles in a story published Feb. 11 (1).
Tatoosi and his wife, Anna Kojoyan, suspect his identity was stolen and used to gain wages from the rideshare company. After struggling to contact Uber directly, the couple says they resorted to using the app’s live chat feature to reach customer support, but had yet to hear back.
The experience has left Kojoyan worried about the reliability of Uber’s screening process. If her husband’s identity could be stolen, she expressed concern to the broadcaster that “apparently you never know who's picking you up” for a ride.
Uber’s website shows the company uses third-party providers to conduct background checks on potential drivers in the U.S. Applicants must submit a Social Security number, full name, date of birth, government-issued identification and a live profile photo to be approved, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
The broadcaster says the company declined an on-camera interview, but did confirm Tatoosi’s complaint had been escalated. In a follow-up report by CBS News Los Angeles on mounting claims of identity theft, Uber issued a statement that read, in part: “When we identify a fraudulent account, we permanently ban it from our platform and take corrective action, including issuing an updated Form 1099 reflecting $0 in income so that affected individuals do not owe taxes related to fraudulent activity” (2).
In the meantime, Tatoosi and Kojoyan say they’ve taken proactive measures, such as freezing their credit and enrolling in a credit-monitoring service, as they work with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to remove the added income from his record.
Employment identity theft
Employment identity theft may not be the most common type of identity theft, but it’s no less pressing in a world that’s becoming more digital.
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Federal Trade Commission data shows the agency received over 1.1 million identity theft claims in 2024. Among those were 87,471 reports of employment or tax-related identity theft, defined as a consumer’s identity being misused to gain wages or file a tax return.
The rise of remote work and the gig economy has made employment identity theft easier, especially in cases where workers never meet face-to-face with employers.
“We have to understand that our data is out there. It’s in the wild,” Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, told CBS News Los Angeles. “Your Social Security number and other personal information can be used for employment purposes.”
Once a worker is onboarded, wages may be paid to the fraudster’s account, while the earnings are reported to the IRS under the victim’s Social Security number and be subject to income taxes.
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Data breaches over the years have exposed the personal information of many around the globe.
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Prevent thieves from messing up your taxes
One downside of employee identity theft is that it’s difficult to spot early, and it often goes unnoticed until a victim receives unexpected tax forms. In addition, the IRS reports an average wait time of 21 months to resolve identity theft cases.
Despite the potential wait, if you suspect identity theft may affect your tax situation, you should report it to the IRS. You may also want to contact the employer listed on the suspicious tax form and file a report at IdentityTheft.gov to create an official recovery plan and documentation for disputes.
You may also want to request a security freeze on your credit, like Tatoosi and Kojoyan, by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — online or over the phone.
Applying for an IRS Identity Protection PIN is another step you can take. This string of six numbers works like a password for your tax return. Without it, the IRS will reject any return filed using your Social Security number, which gives you an extra layer of defense.
For those who don’t have a "my Social Security" account on the Social Security Administration’s website, sign up and get in the habit of monitoring it for suspicious activity. It’s a good idea to visit your profile on a regular basis to ensure everything is clean.
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Eric Esposito is a freelance contributor on MoneyWise with an interest in financial markets, investing, and trading. In addition to MoneyWise, Eric’s work can be found on financial publications such as WallStreetZen and CoinDesk. When not researching the latest stock market trends, Eric enjoys biking, walking his dog, and spending time with family in Central Florida. Eric holds a BA in English from Quinnipiac University.
