Identity theft protection resources
What government agencies provide resources?
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC has helpful information about how to avoid and protect against ID theft. Visit its website or call call 877-438-4338 or 877-IDTHEFT.
Oregon Attorney General's Office
You can contact Oregon's Attorney General's Office for more information about preventing and managing ID theft. Visit its website or call 877-877-9392.
How do I get a free credit report?
You can get one free copy of your credit report once every 12 months and may purchase additional copies. Visit
www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228 or contact one of the three national consumer reporting agencies:
How do I place a fraud alert on my credit report?
A fraud alert informs potential creditors that you may be a victim of identity theft. Creditors must then follow certain procedures before granting credit. A fraud alert may delay your ability to obtain credit.
An “initial fraud alert" stays in your file for at least 90 days. An “extended fraud alert" stays in your file for seven years and requires an identity theft report before it can be lifted. You must provide proof of identity to place or remove a fraud alert. You can place a fraud alert by calling any one of the three national consumer reporting agencies:
- Equifax: 800-525-6285
- Experian: 888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 800-680-7289
Visit
the Oregon Department of Justice's website for more information on fraud alerts.
How do I report fraud to the Department of Revenue?
Types of tax fraud
If you suspect fraudulent activities, such as tax evasion or identity theft, please report it to us using
Revenue Online or by calling 503-947-2000.
Identity theft
If you feel you've been the victim of identity theft, report it to us immediately using
Revenue Online or by calling 503-947-2000. We are committed to helping taxpayers who are the victims of identity theft, and continually strive to increase data security to stop fraudulent returns before they are processed. Due to our rigorous screening process, taxpayers who are victims of identity theft may experience longer than normal processing times for their tax returns.
Tax evasion
- Falsely filing or not filing personal income, omitting income, or exaggerating expenses.
- Employers refusing to withhold taxes from an employee's paycheck, paying under the table, or misclassifying employees as independent contractors.
- Illegally selling unstamped cigarettes, smuggling, or hijacking cigarettes.
If you have questions or concerns call 503-945-8264.
How do I report a data breach to the Department of Revenue?
If you're a tax professional that's discovered a data security breach or have reason to believe that a breach has occurred, visit our Notice of data and security breach webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you
don't have to provide your name or number. However, if we can't contact you, we
may not have enough information to conduct a thorough review. Report fraud to
us at Revenue Online.
Confidentiality laws prohibit us from sharing with anyone the steps taken as a result of a tip.
Go ahead and fill in what you do know. We can start a review based on
the information provided.
You'll need the following:
- The Request for Identity Verification letter we sent.
- Your Social Security number.
The quiz takes five minutes to complete. Visit Revenue Online and take the Identity Verification Quiz.
Being paid in cash is fine, as long as your employer is withholding tax from your pay. If there are no withholdings from your pay, your employer might not be reporting you properly as an employee. Your employer should provide you a pay stub showing your gross pay, withheld taxes, and net pay for the pay period. In addition, you should also receive a W-2 at the end of the year for all cash or check payments.
Please report this as tax fraud to us online. To protect yourself while we conduct an
investigation, you should make estimated payments. See Publication OR-ESTIMATE.