Homeowner Nearly Driven Into F'closure After Being Victimized By Her Tax Preparer In I.D. Theft Scam That Led To IRS Problems On Taxes She Didn't Owe

In Duluth, Georgia, WSB Radio 750 AM reports:

• More identity theft cases stemming from a bust earlier this year are coming to light. Police say the total is up to nearly 9,000 and for the first time, one of the victims is speaking out.



• Jeanette Adams says her problems began in early 2010 when the IRS sent her a letter stating she owed nearly $2,400 in taxes.



• "I'm paying way more than I should ever of had to pay and I don't know why," said Adams. The 66-year-old retired nurse tells Channel 2 Action News she made the payments to the IRS, but it nearly forced her into foreclosure.



• "I would pay one month, then pay another month and pay a partial payment," said Adams. Eighteen months later, the answer to her concerns came with a phone call from Duluth police.



• "You are the victim of an identity fraud," I said that tells it all," said Adams. In April, Duluth police arrested Annette Ford after detectives found stacks of documents containing names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers inside her home. Authorities say Jeanette Adams' name was among them.



• Police say Ford owned a business called E-Pro Tax Service that was registered with the secretary of state's office. Ford pleaded guilty to conspiracy and identity fraud in June. Derrick Picket has been charged in connection with the ring. Charges are pending against at least two more suspects.

Source: Police: 9,000 victims in Gwinnett ID theft case.