A South Florida man says he is the victim of tax identity theft after someone used his name and Social Security number to file fraudulent tax returns, not just once, but for multiple years. Now, he’s working to fix the damage.
For CBS Miami sports producer Jorge Perez, the ordeal began with a letter from the Internal Revenue Service claiming he failed to file taxes for a company he says he has no connection to.
“I’ve never worked or lived or traveled to Arkansas,” Perez said.
The notice referenced a 2024 tax document tied to a company based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Perez says he contacted the company and confirmed it is legitimate, but was unable to get answers about how his information may have been used.
“I spoke to a receptionist. She tried to direct me to accounts payable, and unfortunately, I never got an answer,” he said.
Perez went to the IRS website and submitted the necessary forms to dispute the claim. During that process, he discovered something even more alarming: another fraudulent filing. Perez says the same company filed taxes again in 2025 using his name, this time for roughly twice the amount.
The IRS says this type of identity theft is a common issue
According to the IRS, tax-related identity theft is a common issue. Ronald Loecker, who leads the Florida field office for IRS Criminal Investigation, says the agency uncovered $4.5 billion in tax fraud last year.
“It’s a serious federal felony to file false tax returns. So, it’s up to five-year penalty for filing a false tax return, up to 10 years if you’re doing it in conspiracy,” Loecker said.
Officials say protecting personal information is critical and recommend choosing a trusted tax preparer, noting some investigations involve preparers misusing people’s data.
Perez says he has completed all the recommended steps, including filing the proper paperwork and reporting the fraud. “They said they received all my paperwork, but I have to give them 45 days for a response. So essentially at this point it’s sit and wait and hope everything goes correctly,” he said.
The IRS says investigations like this can take months to resolve. Perez has also filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, which says it is reviewing the case to determine whether it can be taken up by the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution.
