IRS pegs resident aliens as new identity-theft target.(Tax Watch)

Investment News, June, 2004

Byline: Mark Battersby The Internal Revenue Service warned of a new scheme to steal the identity and financial data of non-resident aliens who have income from a United States source. The scheme uses fictitious IRS correspondence and an altered IRS form in an attempt to trick the foreign individual into disclosing personal and financial data.

The fraudulently obtained information is then used to steal the taxpayer's identity and financial assets. Specifically, an altered IRS Form W-8BEN, "Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding,'' is sent with correspondence purportedly from the IRS to non-resident aliens who have invested in U.S. property, such as securities or bonds, and consequently have a U.S....

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