<prompt> Human: I live in an apartment building and my neighbor knocked on my door today and handed me my W2 form from work, but it was already opened. He said it accidentally came to his mailbox instead. Normally I wouldnt care, but this guy has spent 20 years of his life in jail for all sorts of things including fraud and I cant be too cautious. My W2 has my social security number on there which is why I am really worried. Should I put a freeze on my credit? Or just monitor it daily? Or are there any other steps I can take?  <response>: I am an Enrolled Agent with the IRS these are the exact steps you should take. 1. File today if possible. He could have very well stolen your SSN by taking a picture of your W-2 and could potentially file a fraudulent return under your name. If he attempts to e-file or you do after the return has already been accepted by the IRS elsewhere the return will be rejected automatically by their system and you will be forced to paper file which takes time. 2. Call the IRS and request a Identity Protection ID Number. They have a special line for this scenario at 1-800-908-4490 this will connect you to the Identity Protection Specialized Unit. When you do this they will send you a 4-7 digit code which you will be required to use every year moving forward. The IRS will mail you a new code each year at the beginning of the year so keep your address updated accordingly. 3. He will also need your birthday to file correctly. He could potentially use a incorrect birthday but the return would then be flagged by the IRS and possibly rejected by their system. 4. If he does in fact commit this felony file form 14039 to report the incident to the IRS and paper file your return. Then file a police report. Which you could then charge him with opening your mail in the first place which is also a felony. Also, freezing your credit will do nothing in this situation in respect to your tax return and the IRS. Your taxes concern the IRS and the IRS alone with no other entity. He could however use your information to do other mischievous acts that would effect your credit such as opening credit cards and such. I hope this helps. If you have any more questions please PM me. 