We are thankful when our clients update us regarding potential fraud they have experienced. We have been alerted to a new scam that is becoming more prevalent – read on for more details.
An unprecedented number of Americans lost their jobs as a result of the worldwide pandemic, and this led to a surge in the volume of unemployment claims. Scammers are taking advantage of the chaos to steal personal information and are fraudulently submitting claims for unemployment benefits.
How do unemployment scams work?
Scammers offer to help someone file unemployment claims and then steal their personal information. Once the personal information has been stolen, the scammer will fraudulently sign up for unemployment benefits and the victim’s unemployment payments are then sent to the scammer.
What should I do if I fall victim to an unemployment scam?
Unfortunately, people are often unware that they have been a victim of this scam until they’re notified by either a state unemployment benefits office or by the employer listed on the unemployment application.
If you fall victim to an unemployment scam, someone is misusing your personal information and you should immediately follow these steps:
- Report the fraud to your employer.
- Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits office.
- Keep a list of names of people you speak to and confirmation or case numbers for future contact with the office.
- Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (https://identitytheft.gov/).
- Review credit reports closely and often!
If you receive an unemployment payment and you did not sign up to receive unemployment benefits, immediately report the received benefit to your state unemployment office and alert them that you did not sign up for unemployment benefits.