Despite working in the cybersecurity industry and having knowledge about identity theft, Mark Ertle wasn’t able to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft himself.
When Ertle filed his taxes a few years ago, he found out that his refund had already been given out to a criminal who filed a tax return under his name. Ertle was forced to undergo an extensive process to prove that he was a victim of identity theft. He was eventually able to collect his return – but the repercussions of the identity theft did not stop there.
Later, when Ertle was trying to purchase a new home, the bank requested tax information from the IRS and received the fraudulent return filed by the identity thief instead of the legitimate return sent by Ertle. He was then denied the loan and left unable to purchase the home. Looking for help, Ertle turned to Jeff’s office.
Jeff’s staff were able to help Ertle get the necessary information and contacts from the IRS he needed to clear up the mistakes and to ensure that the proper tax information will be used for loans in the future.
In April, Senator Jeff Merkley hosted a press conference regarding tax identity theft where Ertle spoke about his own personal experience and how this issue can affect everyone.
Read about the press conference and how to protect yourself from identity theft.
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