A 7 Year-Old’s Tax Troubles

A boy in Carpenterville, Ill recently received a notice from the IRS informing him that he owed taxes on $60,000 worth of income. The agency also informed his mother that should could no longer claim her son as a dependent.

This is not the story of an enterprising child who started a wildly successful business in his parent’s garage; it’s a story about identity theft.

Shortly after the young man was born in 2001 his identity was stolen. His Social Security card wound up in the hands of Cirilo Centeno who used the information to obtain a truck, three separate jobs, gas and electrical service for his home, a credit card, unemployment benefits twice for a total of six months, and over $60,000 in pay and services.

Centeno’s court date is March 12.