Got a 1098-T form in the mail but my elderly relative never went to college... identity theft?

This definitely seems like a case of identity theft. 1098-T forms are issued by educational institutions to report qualified tuition and related expenses, and they're used to claim education credits on tax returns. Since your uncle never attended this university, someone likely used his personal information to enroll and possibly obtain financial aid. Here's what you should do: First, call the university's registrar's office AND their financial aid department to report this. They need to investigate how someone enrolled using your uncle's information. Second, your uncle should check his credit reports immediately at annualcreditreport.com to see if there are other fraudulent accounts. Third, file an identity theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. Finally, contact the IRS to let them know someone might file a fraudulent tax return using this 1098-T.

I went through something similar with an incorrect 1098-T last year and taxr.ai really helped me figure out what was going on. I was getting conflicting information from the university and the IRS about what to do, and I was worried about getting audited for education credits I never claimed. I uploaded the form and my ID theft documentation to https://taxr.ai and they analyzed everything to give me a clear answer about my tax liability and next steps. They confirmed I wasn't responsible for taxes related to the fraudulent form and provided documentation I could use with both the IRS and the university to clear things up. Saved me so much stress during an already stressful situation!

I tried taxr.ai after reading about it here and wow - what a relief! My dad's situation with the fraudulent 1098-T was making me panic since tax season is approaching. I uploaded the form and explained that my dad never attended the college, and they came back with clear instructions. They confirmed this was identity theft, told us exactly which IRS forms to file (including Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit), and gave us template letters to send to the college. They even explained how to make sure this doesn't affect my dad's legitimate tax return. What I appreciated most was getting confirmation that my dad wouldn't be liable for taxes on education credits he never claimed. Definitely recommend if anyone else is dealing with this nightmare!

When we had a similar identity theft issue last year, we spent WEEKS trying to reach the IRS for guidance. It was impossible to get through on their phone lines. We eventually used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to connect with an actual IRS agent after our third attempt to call got disconnected after a 2-hour wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent we spoke with was actually super helpful once we got through. They placed an identity theft indicator on my sister's account to prevent fraudulent returns from being processed and gave us specific paperwork to file. Getting actual guidance from the IRS rather than trying to piece together advice online made a huge difference in resolving everything.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to try it with my own tax issue. I was SHOCKED when I actually got connected to a real IRS agent in about 25 minutes (versus the 3+ hours I spent on my previous attempts). The agent confirmed it was the actual IRS, verified my identity through their normal process, and helped me file an identity theft affidavit for a similar situation with incorrect tax forms. What would have taken me weeks of frustration was resolved in one phone call. The peace of mind from speaking directly with the IRS about this was absolutely worth it. Sometimes it's good to be wrong!

This happened to my husband a few years ago. Turns out his nephew used his SSN to enroll in college and get financial aid because he had defaulted student loans under his own name. Check if anyone in your family might have access to your uncle's personal information. Sometimes identity theft comes from within the family, unfortunately.

Don't forget to contact the IRS directly to flag this for them BEFORE you file taxes this year! We had a similar issue and filed our taxes normally, then got audited because someone else had already claimed education credits using the fraudulent 1098-T. Complete nightmare. File Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) ASAP.

This is definitely a red flag for identity theft, and I'm glad you're taking it seriously. In addition to all the excellent advice already given, I'd recommend your uncle also contact the Social Security Administration to report potential misuse of his SSN. They can place a fraud alert on his Social Security number which adds another layer of protection. Also, when you call Westfield State tomorrow, ask to speak with both their registrar AND their compliance/fraud department if they have one. Universities are required to have procedures for handling identity theft cases involving financial aid, so they should have a clear process to follow. Make sure to get everything in writing - ask them to email you confirmation of your conversation and what steps they're taking to investigate. One more thing - your uncle should consider signing up for IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) program once this is resolved. It's a free service that gives him a unique PIN each year that must be used when filing his tax return, which prevents fraudulent returns from being filed under his SSN.