CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - February 06, 2014) - Tax return and other tax-related identity theft is a growing epidemic throughout the nation. According to the IRS, in 2013, the service initiated 1,492 cases compared to 892 in 2012. Taxpayers can encounter identity theft involving their tax returns in several ways. Often, identity thieves attempt to file fraudulent refund claims after having stolen a person's Social Security number or forging a signature on another person's tax documents.