![\"Vahik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ff758fee8ac0ca335fb2313d029ae620.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nA San Fernando Valley man is dealing with a nightmare after someone stole his identity and used it to earn thousands of dollars as an Uber driver.<\/p>\n
Anna Kojoyan said they were alerted to the fraud after receiving a welcome packet from Uber in the mail that was addressed to her husband, Vahik Tatoosi.<\/p>\n
The packet included instructions on how to get set up as a new driver, however, no one in their household had applied for the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, it was shocking,\u201d she told KTLA\u2019s Jillian Smukler. \u201cI was like, \u2018What\u2019s going on? Is there something I need to know?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon after, she said things escalated. They received IRS tax forms showing the identity thief had earned thousands of dollars driving for Uber while using her husband\u2019s name and Social Security number.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe person who opened the account in September operated the car all these months and generated income in my husband\u2019s name,\u201d Kojoyan said.<\/p>\n
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Vahik Tatoosi and Anna Kojoyan speak with KTLA\u2019s Jillian Smukler on Feb. 12, 2026. (KTLA)<\/p>\n
![\"Uber](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/137fe7816c60c9940b65b20ef176f655.jpeg\"\/)
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Uber driver picks up a rider at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. (NEXSTAR)<\/p>\n
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An Uber driver picks up passengers at the airport on April 10, 2019. (Scott Olson \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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FILE \u2013 An Uber sign is displayed at the company\u2019s headquarters in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. The future of Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis has been a source of concern and debate in recent weeks after the City Council voted last month to require that ride-hailing companies pay drivers a higher rate while they are within city limits. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu, File)<\/p>\n
To make things worse, the couple said they\u2019ve been struggling to receive clear answers from Uber or help with the matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought they would take it seriously and act upon it, but I was wrong,\u201d Kojoyan said. \u201cThey told me that because they want to protect the privacy of the driver, they cannot give me any information on that account.\u201d<\/p>\n
Left to clean up the damage, the process of reporting the fraud and clearing her husband\u2019s name and tax history has been a headache.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process is a nightmare,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to file a police report, contact the IRS, contact the California state tax board.\u201d<\/p>\n
The incident has also left the couple questioning the vetting process for rideshare drivers and the safety concerns it poses to innocent customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe the claims anymore that they vet, they background check or criminal record check their drivers, because at this point, you don\u2019t know who is picking you up,\u201d Kojoyan said.<\/p>\n
The couple has decided to stop using Uber\u2019s services and forbade their children from using the platform, as they aren\u2019t sure who the drivers may actually be.<\/p>\n
Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center,<\/a> said the couple\u2019s case is a prime example of employment identity theft and it\u2019s becoming more common in the gig economy.<\/p>\n