Identity theft

Overview

Identity theft is someone else using your information for an unlawful purpose. They may use your:

  • Name
  • Social security number (SSN)
  • Credit card number
  • Employment information

Identity theft can affect your tax records if someone else reports wages using your SSN or uses it to obtain a fraudulent tax refund.

How to recognize identity theft

You may discover tax-related identity theft in one or more of the following ways:

  • You owe for a tax year and did not file a tax return
  • We rejected your tax return when you attempted to electronically file because:
    • Your SSN is being used by multiple taxpayers
    • We have multiple tax returns on file
  • You receive a refund you were not expecting
  • A third party breached your confidential information

Report identity theft

Report any recent or potential tax-related identity theft by mail, phone or fax. Include your Identity Theft Affidavit (FTB 3552) when reporting.

Mail
Filing Compliance Bureau MS F151
Franchise Tax Board
PO Box 1468
Sacramento CA 95812-1468
Phone
916-845-7088
Weekdays, 7 AM to 5 PM
Fax
916-843-0561

Breached businesses and tax professionals

ftbdatabreach@ftb.ca.gov

What to include

Businesses should provide the following:

  • Reporting individual’s name and title
  • Name of business
  • FEIN/SEIN
  • Number of employees affected
  • Nature of the data breach
  • Contact information

Tax professionals should provide the following:

  • Tax professional’s name and title
  • Name of business
  • PTIN/EFIN
  • Number of clients affected
  • Do you actively use MyFTB
    • When was your last log in
  • Contact information

Do not send attachments, embedded links, or personal information in your email. If we need more information, we will send you a secure request.

We will respond within 48 hours. (Except on weekends and State holidays.)

What happens next

If you report to us that you may be a victim of identity theft, we’ll:

  • Send you a confirmation letter
  • Monitor your account
  • Manually review any tax returns
    • We may request additional information
  • Fix any errors on your tax account due to fraud

Report identity theft to other agencies

Government agencies

Credit agencies

You can request your free annual credit report online or by calling 877-322-8228.