Woman's Identity Stolen; Thief Files Second Tax Return

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Porsha Gordon is a struggling college student who filed her income taxes back in January and never got her refund.

The reason she didn't get that refund is someone stole her identity and filed another return in her name.

"You never thought it would happen to you until it actually happens." Gordon, 18, didn't know her identity was stolen until the she questioned the IRS about the delay in her refund.

"The lady told me I had submitted two. The first one, she said, you should have received the money. I'm like, 'I haven't received no money.' She's like, 'it's saying it showed you've already received the money.'"

Gordon says a $5,000 refund went to a checking account that doesn't belong to her.

According to a letter from the IRS, the thief had the right name, birth date and social security number, but everything else was wrong.

"He said this one says I'm head of household, you filed two kids and you stay off Atlantic Boulevard, and I said that's not me."

The 18-year-old lives with her grandmother. She doesn't have kids and she doesn't live on Atlantic Boulevard. In fact, the address the thief filed with doesn't even exist.

"These people know what they are doing when they are doing it," says Kathy Kellar of H and R Block.

Kellar, who has done tax returns for the last 14 years, says she has seen this happen once before. "Shredding information is one good thing because you want to keep personal information personal.

If you think you are a victim, you first have to call the IRS hotline to report it. Then, you need to call police.

Gordon has done all of that. She's now just waiting for the IRS to fix the mess in order for her to get her tax refund. "It's gonna take three more months for me to get my money, which I've been waiting for since January. I'm like broke."

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