BALTIMORE — Many Marylanders have reported receiving incorrect 1099-G forms from the Comptroller’s Office. While the envelope is addressed to the right person, the sensitive information inside belongs to someone else.
Several impacted individuals sent these incorrect statements to WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii.
“Not only have I received someone else’s sensitive information, but it’s likely that the individual or business who should have received this 1099-G may have my personal details in error, including my Social Security number. This is a significant privacy and security issue, especially as it seems multiple business owners across the state are experiencing similar problems, potentially exposing sensitive data such as Social Security numbers,” said Vianca Buckbee, a childcare provider in Allegany County.
It appears grant recipients have been impacted by this mix-up including childcare providers and port workers who received supplemental funds following the Key Bridge collapse.
WMAR-2 News contacted the Comptroller’s Office to ask about this error and what’s being done about it. The agency just issued the below statement:
"The Office of the Comptroller has identified a printing malfunction that led to a limited batch of roughly 6,000 1099-G forms going to incorrect addresses. The printing error did not impact other tax forms produced by the agency. There was no external data breach; this was an internal issue. Individuals who mistakenly received another person’s information should destroy the document immediately.
The correct 1099 will be mailed to affected individuals this week, and the correct information is also available to view through the General Accounting Division Online Service Center.
In the coming days, our agency will also provide additional instructions to affected individuals regarding credit monitoring services paid for by the Office of the Comptroller. Additionally, our agency will establish a dedicated email address, phone line, and website for impacted individuals. Affected taxpayers can also email gad@marylandtaxes.gov with the subject line “1099G Issue” with questions or concerns."
We sincerely apologize for not catching the error and for any distress this incident may cause the affected individuals. We will be altering our process in the future on printing jobs to ensure this type of incident does not ever happen again."