Has anyone else noticed the amount of identity fraud caused due to the stimulus payments for taxes? (U.S.)?

Question

I know three people in prison due to the cause of tax fraud, and their reason was due to the stimulus payments.

Answer 1

On what do you base your assertion?  Given the slow speed that the wheels of justice turn at, the likelihood that anyone is in prison right now for stimulus rebate fraud is nil.  That's not to say that there haven't been any fraudulent stimulus rebate claims, there almost certainly have been, but it takes much longer than 2 or 3 months to bring a case to trial and get a conviction.  

If someone that you know is in prison and claims that it's due to stimulus rebate fraud on their part, they're blowing smoke, my friend!  And if they claim that they're in prison as a VICTIM of identity theft, they're REALLY blowing smoke profusely!  Don't breathe too deeply in their presence!

You have to file a tax return to get a rebate.  Tax returns are not noted for causing identity theft unless a taxpayer carelessly throws their copy of their return in the trash and someone recovers it.

Answer 2

That sucks Josh. Sorry to hear that. Hope everything works out for your friends. I personally haven't heard of anything like that. Thanks for the update. Identity theft is terrible, to go through something like that is awful.