Where To Report Unemployment Fraud

Victims Of Identity Theft

If you receive mail or a Form 1099G from the EDD, but you did not file a claim for benefits and you think someone else filed a claim under your name, address, or Social Security number, file a fraud report:

• Benefit Fraud â Visit Ask EDD and select the Report Fraud category.
• Form 1099G â Visit Ask EDD and select the Form 1099G category or call 1-866-401-2849, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on state holidays.

If we find you were a victim of fraud, we will remove the claim from your Social Security number and send you an updated 1099G, if needed. Review IRS tax guidance on benefit identity theft.

For more information about protecting yourself from identity theft, review the California Attorney Generalâs Identity Theft Information Sheets and .

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Employment Insurance Telephone Information Service

The Employment Insurance Telephone Information Service is an automated telephone service that provides general and more specific information on the EI program. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When you call, you can use self-service options to:

• submit electronic reports
• get information on benefits, including your specific claim

To get more information or make changes to your claim, you may speak with an EI representative during business hours.

For information about Canada Emergency Response Benefit claims filed with Service Canada, please also contact this telephone service. Please note that the period to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit is now closed.

To access information about your claim, you will need your SIN and access code, which you will find on the benefit statement that is mailed to you after you apply for benefits.

Toll-Free: 1-800-206-7218

The hours of operation are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time, Monday to Friday.

Average wait times

Our service standard is to answer your call within 10 minutes. Please see below our average wait times for the week of July 25, 2022.

This is the average length of time that callers wait in queue before speaking to an agent.

Protecting your information

You now need to show valid ID and answer verification questions at Service Canada Centres to access your file.

To be accepted, your valid ID needs to show your legal name, photo, signature and/or date of birth.

Job Search Activities List

Make job search activities work for you

The chart below includes the current list of approved job search activities. You must complete three each week if you are receiving regular unemployment insurance or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation in order to remain eligible for benefits. You must complete one approved activity if you are receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , though we strongly encourage you to complete three.

Weve recently expanded this list to make your job search more meaningful and provide many options that can be done virtually!

Employers are hiring throughout the state, so whatever your experience or industry, make these job search activities work for you and help you land the job you really want.

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Identity Theft And Unemployment Benefits

States have experienced a surge in fraudulent unemployment claims filed by organized crime rings using stolen identities. Criminals are using these stolen identities to fraudulently collect benefits across multiple states.

Because unemployment benefits are taxable income, states issue Form 1099-G, Certain Government Payments, to recipients and to the IRS to report the amount of taxable compensation received and any withholding. Box 1 on the form shows “Unemployment Compensation.” You should report fraud to the issuing state agency and request a corrected Form 1099-G.

For details on how to report fraud to state workforce agencies, how to obtain a corrected Form 1099-G, a list of state contacts and other steps you should take if you are a victim, see the U.S. Department of Labors DOL.gov/fraud page. Please follow Department of Labor guidance on reporting fraud and protecting yourself from additional scams.

What To Do If You Suspect Or Are A Victim Of Ui Fraud

Individuals who receive notification of unemployment assistance benefits for which they did not apply may be the victim of identity theft for those who seek to obtain fraudulent benefits.

Individuals who suspect UI fraud or believe they may have been a victim of identity theft used to file a fraudulent claim can submit a report to DES at fraud report online application. When reporting fraud, individuals should provide identifying information in the web form that will help locate the claim in our systems. This includes SSN, full name , and mailing address where the documents were received. Individuals are advised to destroy cards they erroneously received. Once DES is able to locate the fraudulent claim, we can address the funds that were issued on the card, and do not need the card returned.

Additionally, if you believe you were the victim of identity theft, we encourage you to go to the Federal Trade Commission identity theft website, identitytheft.gov, and the National Center for Disaster Fraud website, to report and protect yourself from further victimization.

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Other Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Information

There are several steps you can take to take control of your private information. Visit the Federal Trade Commission s website on identity theft for a list of things you should do next: .

You should consider:

• Filing a police report with your local police department. You can usually do so online or through the non-emergency line.
• Filing a fraud alert with one of the major credit reporting agencies . This will make it harder for identity thieves to create new accounts in your name.
• A credit monitoring or identity protection services. Your bank/financial institution may offer free credit monitoring tools, such as a free credit report.
• Changing passwords on your email, banking, and other personal accounts.

Local Retiree Questions What To Do With 1099

âNow I have a 1099 that says itâs for $4,880,â said Karol Settergren, a retired high school counselor.

Taking a close look at the 1099, she said, it shows that withholdings of $488 for federal income taxes and $270.40 for the state.

âIt has my Social Security number on here,â she said.

âNow, Iâm just concerned what happens when I go to file my taxes.â

Settergren, 73, did not file for unemployment benefits in 2020.

She remembers that she did get some paperwork in the summer that said she was denied her claim for unemployment benefits because she didnât provide enough identification. She did not keep that letter.

Again, though, she did not expect a problem since she received information saying the claim was reportedly denied.

âItâs just another thing to deal with,â she said. âIt seems like everything is going wrong in this year of COVID-19.â

Last year, a large-scale imposter scheme hit state unemployment systems across the country. Many times, the crooks filed claims for people who didnât lose jobs, such as school teachers, retirees and even some small business owners.

On Monday, California officials confirmed that the state paid out more than $11 billion in unemployment claims relating to fraud during the pandemic, according to The Hill.

An independent report in November indicated that Michigan might have at one point through late May paid out up to $1.5 billion to such fraud.

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Unemployment Insurance Fraud Case Miami

An Indiana Department of Workforce Development employee began to investigate Joseph Meier and found evidence that he was claiming unemployment insurance benefits while he was working and receiving wages.

39-year old Meier was ordered to pay back $12,607, to the state after he pleaded guilty of unemployment insurance fraud. Meier was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to repay the amount of benefits claimed along with 8% of interest per annum for the benefits that were fraudulently collected.

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With Unemployment On The Rise Due To The Pandemic So Are Fraudulent Claims For Benefits According To The Federal Trade Commission Criminals Are Filing Benefits Claims Using Names And Personal Information Such As Date Of Birth And Social Security Number Of People Who Havent Lost Their Jobs

If you are affected by this scam, you may first learn about it when you receive a notice from your state unemployment benefits office or employer about your supposed application for benefits. By then, however, the benefits usually have been paid to an account the criminals control.

While Mariner Wealth Advisors data has not been compromised, here are steps recommended by the FTC that you can take if you are a victim of this type of identity theft.

Q:What do I do if a false Social Security claim has been filed in my name?

A: If you are a member of an ID Theft protection plan, report the fraud to your provider right away by calling their support line, and they will assist you with next steps. If you are not a member of a plan, report your identity theft to the FTC at: IdentityTheft.gov to receive a recovery plan. The FTC will guide you through placing a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, how to get your free credit reports, how to close fraudulent accounts opened in your name, adding a free extended fraud alert or credit freeze to your credit report, and more. IdentityTheft.gov also will produce an FTC Identity Theft Report that you can use to clear fraudulent information from your credit reports.

Q: Should I alert the credit bureaus?

Equifax

Q: Who else needs to know about a fraudulent claim?

Locate your states agency at:

Q:What if I receive unemployment funds I didnt apply for?

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Detect Fraud Prevent Fraud

UI Fraud is a crime, and it affects everyone. It drives up unemployment taxes for businesses, it affects people with legitimate unemployment benefit claims, and it puts a strain on the states unemployment trust fund. The person committing fraud could be a claimant who is intentionally misrepresenting information being provided to the Unemployment Insurance Agency when filing and/or certifying for unemployment benefits or could be a traditional fraud matter whereby a criminal is impersonating or representing themselves as a claimant for unemployment benefits. In every instance of fraud, individuals may face criminal prosecution, fines, and penalties of up to four times the amount.

UIA is committed to the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of those who commit unemployment insurance fraud.

How Does the UIA Detect and Prevent Fraud?

• UIA Fraud Manager Program utilizes proprietary scoring determined from an examination of fraudulent claims to identify claim inconsistencies. This proprietary scoring program has been the single largest influencer in combatting the rampant number of fraudulent claims filed from 2013 through 2017.

Identity Theft:

Identity theft occurs when someone uses another personâs informationincluding wage, employment, and credit card informationto take on their identity. Identity thieves can also use another persons name, Social Security number, and employment information to illegally file UI claims and collect UI benefit payments.

Tips To Avoid Unemployment Insurance Fraud

The best way to avoid committing UI fraud is to first understand what must not be done and what needs to be done. Sometimes people are unaware that they are falsely claiming for benefits.

Here are some tips to follow to avoid committing unemployment insurance fraud:

• Always report your employment before you make a claim. Employment includes cash jobs, self-employment, commission, 1099 or temporary.
• Do not misrepresent information or make a false statement to increase or receive benefits.
• Always report your work refusals.
• Do not fabricate job searches. Conduct enough work research.
• Always report a work separation.
• Do not use another individuals identity to file for insurance payments.
• Always report other types of reimbursements such as Workers Compensation payments.
• You must report it if you are incapable and not available to work .
• Do not help someone else file a fraudulent insurance claim.

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What Steps Do I Need To Take If Im The Victim Of Unemployment Insurance Fraud

The first thing you should do is report the fraud to your employer. You should also alert your stateâs unemployment benefits office. Contact information and other details vary depending on the jurisdiction, so be sure to find your state agency here.

Next, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report your fraud to the Federal Trade Commission . The FTC site will take you through the steps to set up an account and access your recovery plan. You can also update your plan as needed, track your progress and pre-fill necessary forms and letters with your information. The recovery plan will show you how to close fraudulent accounts, give you access to a free credit report and help you freeze your legitimate accounts to thwart additional fraud.

Itâs important to check your credit reports regularly to identify any suspicious changes to your credit history. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, annualcreditreport.com is offering free weekly credit reports through April 2021.

You should also contact your employer and disclose that someone may have applied for unemployment insurance benefits in your name. Your employer may have already received paperwork from the state unemployment insurance department and can help you prove that the claim is fraudulent and you remain employed.

Even though identity thieves are thriving during the Covid-19 pandemic, you can help better protect yourself by remaining vigilant, watching for signs of fraud and carefully monitoring your credit reports.

Signs That You May Be A Victim Of Unemployment Identity Theft

Most victims of unemployment identity theft are unaware that claims have been filed and/or that benefits have been collected using their identities. Many people only find out unemployment identity theft occurred when they receive something in the mail, such as a payment or state issued 1099-G tax form thats incorrect or for benefits not received.

Sample form from the IRS.gov website: IRS form Certain Government Payments 1099-G

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Victims: Reporting Unemployment Insurance Fraud

IDES is aware of phishing schemes targeting Illinoisans. Please note that individuals will never receive a text message from IDES seeking personally identifiable information, like your social security or drivers license numbers. For more info on phishing schemes please visit the FTC website.

Unemployment Insurance Identity Theft Fraud

Identity thieves and hackers have long known how to use stolen identities to commit fraud for example, to open a new credit card or file a false tax return and criminals using stolen identities to defraud public assistance programs is not new. In fact, such schemes are so pervasive that federal rules require Illinois to have staff dedicated to preventing and stopping fraudulent activity in the Unemployment Insurance system.

IDES partners with local and federal law enforcement agents, the Department of Labors Office of Inspector General, Attorney General, States Attorney and US Attorneys Offices to help us in our fight against fraud.

Please take the time to review the information below, including how to spot UI identity theft, how to report identity theft to IDES, and what happens after you contact the agency.

How can I spot unemployment insurance identity theft?

• Report the fraudulent claim here.
• DO NOT activate the debit card that was mailed to you.
• DO NOT contact KeyBank.
• Request your free credit reports via www.annualcreditreport.com and review them for other fraudulent activities.

Little Action Early On To Prevent Fraud

The new audit was conducted in response to the result of another audit released earlier this year. Faber said state unemployment officials knew about widespread fraud problems during the pandemics early months but did not turn over information to the auditors office. Instead, auditors were told that any fraud was insignificant.

But that contradicted what former Job and Family Services Director Kimberly Henderson told lawmakers, that she was aware of the fraud as early as June 2020.

The new audit explains that discrepancy. The department thought auditors were only trying to identify internal or employee-related fraud, not that of benefit recipients. Faber, however, believes his office was clear that all types of fraud were of interest.

Regardless, the audit still accuses the department of not taking early action to combat fraud. In August 2020, a fraud dashboard was launched, but it was not until early 2021, around when director Matt Damschroder took over, that the department launched a project partnering with the private sector to really take the issue head on.

Im not going to say that we went in and that we found nothing, that they were just ignoring the fraud, said Faber. But if they had tried to do that earlier, would they have been as successful? And we see no reason why they would not have been.

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Official Data Chaos: Bls Outdoes Itself With Its Bs

So now, the Department of Labor reported this morning that the total number of people on unemployment insurance under all state and federal unemployment programs, including gig workers, surged by 937,810 people to a record 31.5 million.

At the same time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics wanted to make us believe by hook or crook that the number of unemployed people fell by 3.2 million in June, to 17.8 million.

The difference between those actually receiving unemployment insurance and those that the BLS claims are unemployed has today exploded to 13.7 million. In other words, the BLS has under-reported the number of unemployed by at least 13.7 million people.

No one knows how many jobs were created on net, but it wasnt 4.8 million as the BLS tried to make us believe, or even a smaller positive number, but a negative number, with more jobs being shed on net, because the number of people still receiving unemployment insurance since the end of May has surged by 1.3 million people, according to the Labor Department.

The BLS has thereby outdone itself in generating BS. I dont know whether it is under political pressure to produce this BS or whether it is just incompetent with much of its staff not working properly due to the pandemic. Whatever the cause, the BLS has lost all remaining credibility with this report and has totally fallen off the deep end.

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