Fraudulent unemployment claims skyrocket

The rise in fraudulent unemployment claims throughout the country has soared this year. Criminals, using stolen personally identifiable information (PII), are submitting online claims hoping to cash in on the chaos and uncertainty within companies and government offices created by the pandemic.

It’s nearly impossible to identify how, where and when PII was obtained. Employees generally have no idea of their vulnerability until they receive an unemployment claim determination notice from their state unemployment office.

Take action
Upon learning of the scheme, employees and employers should take action and immediately alert the respective state’s unemployment office.

Additionally, employees should

• contact the three consumer credit bureaus and request a freeze or alert on their account,
• request a copy of their credit report to confirm no additional fraud has occurred, and
• set security alerts and/or change passwords on bank and other financial accounts.