People who aren't Uber drivers are getting tax forms for up to $12K in income, due to identity theft. How to dispute money that you never made

Daniel LibertoTue, March 17, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC

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An Uber Eats delivery worker rests on his bike.

If you thought opening mail during tax season was stressful, imagine receiving a tax form for a job you never worked.

That is exactly what’s happening to many Americans across the country, who say they’ve been sent IRS Form 1099s from Uber reporting thousands of dollars in income they never earned, according to a CBS News investigation (1).

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"I just received 1099s for $12,000 from Uber even though I have never driven with them,” read an email that CBS News received after airing its investigation. An Arizona woman who also saw the report on television emailed CBS and wrote, “The same thing happened to my husband two years ago."

As the investigation uncovered, fraudsters seem to be using stolen personal information to open fake Uber driver accounts in other people’s names. Other times, it may simply be a case of mistakenly attributing income to the wrong taxpayer.

Making matters worse, these types of errors can be tricky to fix. Several victims told investigators that when they tried to alert Uber, the company didn’t respond.

But that doesn’t mean victims should ignore the issue. Unless informed otherwise, the IRS will assume the reported income is legitimate and expect taxes to be paid on it, so it’s important to dispute the error quickly.

Here’s what to do if you receive a tax form reporting income you’ve never earned.

A growing problem that’s difficult to fix

Work-related identity theft appears to be on the rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), approximately 31,450 people reported wage-related identity theft in the first three quarters of 2025, up 61% from the same period in 2021 (2).

Criminals can use stolen personal information, such as Social Security numbers or driver’s license details, to create Uber driver accounts, collect earnings and disappear, leaving the victim to deal with the tax consequences. And often the first sign that something is wrong is a tax form arriving in the mail.

For many victims, the biggest challenge isn’t discovering the fraudulent income — it’s getting someone to correct it. Some victims told CBS News that when they contacted Uber, they received no response.

"I've contacted them many times," one victim told CBS News. "I uploaded all the documentation they asked for in their fraudulent section of their website, which I somehow managed to find. No responses, no communication at all."

Another victim said he contacted Uber asking what to do and was told someone would follow up, but then heard nothing for weeks.

The backlog of cases at the IRS can also complicate matters. In fact, identity theft has become so common that complaints now take more than 21 months on average to resolve (3). These hurdles can make it tempting to give up, but ignoring the problem usually makes things worse.

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How to deal with wage-related identity theft

If you find yourself in a similar situation as the victims mentioned above, it’s important to not waste any time and take the following steps.

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Step 1: Contact Uber

Start by notifying Uber — or any other company that may report fraudulent earnings in your name — that a tax form was issued under your name for work you didn’t perform. You’ll likely be asked to upload supporting documentation and explain your situation.

Some victims claim Uber is slow to respond. However, the ride-hailing company says it investigates every report it receives and will issue a corrected Form 1099 showing $0 in income if a mistake or identity theft occurred (1).

Step 2: Report identity theft to the FTC

If you suspect someone has stolen your identity, file a report with the FTC online or call 1-877-438-4338.

The FTC will provide you with an identity theft report and recovery plan that can help when dealing with companies or government agencies investigating the issue.

Step 3: Notify the IRS

If someone used your Social Security number to generate income records and a fraudulent tax form has been issued in your name, notify the IRS immediately. Victims typically need to file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit), which can be done online (4).

Once the IRS flags your account, it may take additional steps to monitor for fraudulent filings associated with your Social Security number.

Step 4: Don’t report the income on your tax return

It may be tempting to include the erroneous income on your tax return “just to be safe.” However, the IRS warns taxpayers not to do this.

Reporting income from an unrecognized employer can complicate the investigation and make it harder to correct the record later.

Step 5: Monitor your credit, employment and tax records

If someone has enough personal information to open a fake driver account in your name, they may also attempt other forms of fraud.

Consider taking these precautions:

Review your credit reports online for suspicious activity. This can be done for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Check your Social Security earnings record to see if unfamiliar wages were reported.

Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) to help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name.

Watch for unexpected tax forms or wage statements in future years.

Catching additional fraud early can limit the damage and make recovery easier.

However, this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. If you're dealing with identity theft or complex tax issues, consider consulting a qualified tax professional, CPA or enrolled agent.

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Article sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

CBS News (1); CNBC (2); IRS (3, 4).

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Money”