When it comes to ID theft, "someone out there is going after doctors," according to Rafal Subernat, D.O.
"And we’ve done nothing wrong," added Dr. Subernat, an anesthesiologist in Bangor, Maine, who’s identity was stolen this year at tax time.
Dr. Subernat and his wife thought it was peculiar when earlier this year they attempted to file their taxes electronically and the return was inexplicably rejected.
They subsequently filed by paper. But 2 weeks later, a debit-like card that Dr. Subernat had never ordered arrived in the mail. When he called the issuer, an operator explained the prepaid tax refund card was opened in Dr. Subernat’s name, and that its original $10,000 balance was now at $10.
"It was already too late at that point, because the money was gone," said Dr. Subernat, who discovered his social security number had been used to file a fraudulent tax return. "Emotionally, now you’re worried, where is my information? Where is my social security number? Is it going to happen next year again?"