Maryland Comptroller Ends Use of Social Security Numbers On Mailed 1099-G Forms After Data Breach
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Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman announced that her office will no longer include Social Security numbers on mailed 1099-G tax forms following a printing error that exposed the personal information of thousands of Maryland residents.
“We’re truly sorry this happened,” Lierman told CBS Baltimore. “We take this issue very seriously and are doing everything possible to make it right.” Many of those affected were individuals who received relief payments after the Key Bridge collapse.
The mailing error resulted in 1099-G tax forms being sent with one person’s name and address on the envelope but another person’s tax information inside. The comptroller’s office prints more than 800,000 1099 forms each year. According to Lierman, the issue stemmed from a printer malfunction.
To prevent future errors, her office will now conduct spot checks during the printing process.
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“My message is that we take their security seriously, and I deeply regret this mistake,” Lierman said. “I understand their concerns, and I want them to know they can always reach out to us.”
However, many Marylanders who received incorrect forms are now worried about identity theft after their Social Security numbers were mistakenly sent to strangers. Lierman said her office has taken immediate action to enhance privacy protections.
“This agency has long included Social Security numbers on 1099 forms, but as soon as I learned of this issue on Monday, I put a stop to it,” she said. “There is no reason to include a Social Security number on a mailed form, and we’ve made process changes to ensure this never happens again.”
Her office has identified all affected individuals. In response to the breach, the comptroller’s office is offering one year of free credit monitoring to those impacted, with the possibility of an extension.
“If there’s a need to extend the monitoring, we’re open to it,” Lierman stated. “I take the security of Marylanders seriously, and while I deeply regret this happened, I want residents to know we are improving our processes and will continue to support them.”
She emphasized that her office acted quickly, implementing a full response within 24 hours of discovering the issue.
Anyone affected is encouraged to contact the comptroller’s office for assistance.
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