Hi,
Recently I got a 1099-C in the mail, "Cancellation of Debt", recording a cancelled debt from a huge loan due to bankruptcy. It is a copy sent to me (the "debtor") from a mid-west finance company. Problem is that I never took out such a loan and have never been a customer of the company that they do finance services for. At first I thought it was bogus or phishing, but the finance company does exist, so I called them and after some effort they agreed that I am not the party that took out the loan or co-signed anything, etc., or have anything to do with their parent company since my SSN and birth date don't match their customer account or loan records attached to my name and home address. They sent me a letter stating as much, and to basically ignore the 1099-C, and "sorry for the hassle" (more or less). The form does not have my SSN on it, but it does have a tax number (ITIN) that I have never applied for, and I don't know if that number exists with IRS and connected to my name and address.
So my questions are: (1) should I contact the IRS to inquire about that bogus ITIN, and how? (2) Should I file a report with the FTC since it smacks of a fraudulent loan? (3) Should I file a 14039 form (Identify Theft Affidavit) with the IRS? I'm presuming that the IRS can't do anything with the 1099-C without my SSN on it, but I'm not sure because of that ITIN on the form. Again, I have never requested an ITIN from the IRS. On the other hand, who wants attention from the IRS if it's not necessary! Thank you!
