PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – When James and Debra Miller began filing their taxes as newlyweds in the late 1990s, they said the federal government started garnishing James’ wages.
The Providence couple said it was because another man named James “D.” Miller had somehow acquired the same social security number. But unlike the James Miller of Providence, the other man served in the U.S. armed forces, lived in New York and owed back taxes to the IRS.
“It’s aggravating,” said Miller, who doesn’t have a middle name. “It’s just getting to be too much.”
Fast forward more than 20 years, the Millers continue to grapple with the issue. The couple received a threatening letter from the government earlier this year indicating Debra was at risk of committing fraud. The letter accused her of failing to disclose Veteran Affairs benefits for James as income on food-benefit forms. James said he’s never served in the military.
“I really can’t believe that one person with the same name and the same social security actually really does exist,” Debra said. “I don’t believe that.”
The Millers are not alone and the issue of identity theft in Rhode Island has skyrocketed in recent years. A Target 12 analysis of Federal Trade Commission data shows Rhode Island identity theft reports increased from 989 in 2018 to 30,271 in 2021 – a more than 30-fold increase. And last year, Rhode Island had the highest rate of reported cases in the…
