What We Are Seeing: When Your Social Security Number Moonlights for Uber (Without You Knowing)
We’re seeing a troubling pattern lately—and it’s hitting more people than you’d expect.
Here’s how it goes:
Someone gets hold of your Social Security number (often through a data breach or other identity theft). They use it to sign up for gig economy work—think Uber, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart. They drive, deliver, and earn. But they’re not you.
The gig platform has no idea, so at year-end, they issue a Form 1099 in your name and Social Security number for the income this imposter earned. The IRS receives a copy.
Months later, you get a lovely letter from the IRS—usually a CP2000 notice—telling you that you “forgot” to report thousands in income and now owe additional tax, penalties, and interest.
Except… you never made that income. You didn’t drive, you didn’t deliver, and you certainly didn’t get paid.
Why This Is Growing
Gig work is easy to sign up for. Many platforms verify identities online and rely on uploaded documents—making them ripe targets for stolen personal information. Unlike W-2 jobs, there’s often no in-person onboarding or background check tied to a physical location.
And because gig work is paid as independent contractor income, there’s no withholding—so the IRS sees all of it as taxable to you.
The Fallout
We’ve seen this exact situation in multiple new cases. It’s not just an inconvenience—it can take months to unravel, especially if the IRS initially assumes the income is yours. You may have to:
· Prove the income belongs to someone else
· Provide an Identity Theft Affidavit (Form 14039)
· Work with the IRS to adjust your account and remove the improper tax assessment
Meanwhile, IRS notices don’t stop just because you’re “working it out.”
What You Can Do Now
You can’t stop every form of identity theft, but you can:
1. Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) – This 6-digit code helps prevent others from filing a tax return using your Social Security number.
2. Act fast if you get an unexpected IRS notice – Delaying only makes the problem bigger (and harder to fix).
3. Shred or secure documents with personal information.
4. Freeze your credit with all three major bureaus to reduce the chance of new accounts being opened in your name.
5. Call us
Bottom Line
If you get an IRS letter about income you didn’t earn—especially gig economy income—don’t ignore it. This is an identity theft case, and you need to handle it quickly and correctly.
We’re helping more taxpayers than ever resolve this exact issue, and while it’s fixable, it’s much less stressful when you have someone experienced steering the process.
If this happens to you, call us before you call the IRS. We can make sure you respond the right way, protect your rights, and stop the problem from snowballing.
