Stay Alert – Imposters File Unemployment Claims

According to the FTC, a large-scale scam is taking place in the midst of the pandemic — imposters are filing claims for unemployment benefits using the names and personal information of people who have not filed claims. The fraud is typically discovered when these people get a notice from their state unemployment benefits office or their employer about their supposed application for benefits.

If this happens to you, it means a scammer is using your Social Security number and date of birth. Take these steps:

1. Report the fraud to your employer. Keep a record of who you spoke with and when.
   
   
2. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. You can find state agencies here.
   
   
   • If possible, report the fraud online. An online report will save you time and be easier for the agency to process.
     
     
   • Keep any confirmation or case number you get. If you speak with anyone, keep a record of who you spoke with and when.
   
   
3. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to report the fraud to the FTC and get help with the next important recovery steps. These include placing a free, one-year fraud alert on your credit, getting your free credit reports, and closing any fraudulent accounts opened in your name. This site will also help you add a free extended fraud alert or credit freeze to your credit report to make it more difficult for an identity thief to open new accounts in your name.
   
   
4. Review your credit reports often. For the next year, you can check your reports every week for free through AnnualCreditReport.com. This can help you spot any new fraud quickly.