Someone is trying to use my wife for an unemployment insurance scam. Anyone been through this? (1 Viewer)

[AcerFC]

My wife is a teacher and has been employed in the same district for the past 20 years. Somehow, someone has all her information and has applied for unemployment insurance on her behalf. This seems to be a problem happening to teachers in the area (maybe school site was hacked). 

Every day she is getting new bank debit cards that she didn’t order or apply for and letters talking about unemployment. She has notified the state and her school but has not gone to the police yet. I think we are getting to that point though.

the worst part is, that she can never get anyone from the state on the phone. When she calls the banks to cancel the account, they want her social security number and phone number on the account. She refuses to give them her ss# and she explains she doesn’t know the phone number because she didn’t open the account. She never gets anywhere with them. 
 

Has anyone been through this? We tried to google the scam and it looks like they try to open all these accounts so they can steal money electronically from banks but not us directly. Still doesn’t sit well with us since it is all in her name. Any suggestions. 

 

[-fish-]

My wife is a teacher and has been employed in the same district for the past 20 years. Somehow, someone has all her information and has applied for unemployment insurance on her behalf. This seems to be a problem happening to teachers in the area (maybe school site was hacked). 

Every day she is getting new bank debit cards that she didn’t order or apply for and letters talking about unemployment. She has notified the state and her school but has not gone to the police yet. I think we are getting to that point though.

the worst part is, that she can never get anyone from the state on the phone. When she calls the banks to cancel the account, they want her social security number and phone number on the account. She refuses to give them her ss# and she explains she doesn’t know the phone number because she didn’t open the account. She never gets anywhere with them. 
 

Has anyone been through this? We tried to google the scam and it looks like they try to open all these accounts so they can steal money electronically from banks but not us directly. Still doesn’t sit well with us since it is all in her name. Any suggestions. 

1. Freeze her credit and report it

2. Check this IRS link

 

[NutterButter]

I second freezing her credit.    Its very easy to do and there's no cost.   

 

[Buckna]

Freeze credit. Unemployment fraud is rampant right now, happened to me a few weeks ago. Luckily that was the extent of it, no accounts opened in my name or anything.

 

[tri-man 47]

Happened to me to (university professor) a couple of months ago.  I reported it to the state; my employer was aware.  I followed up with the credit bureaus.  It's been in the news a lot here in Chicago.  Probably not worth reporting to the police.

 

[Mile High]

  It's been in the news a lot here in Chicago.  Probably not worth reporting to the police.

In the news here in Colorado.

 

[-fish-]

Happened to me to (university professor) a couple of months ago.  I reported it to the state; my employer was aware.  I followed up with the credit bureaus.  It's been in the news a lot here in Chicago.  Probably not worth reporting to the police.

I'd report it.   If it comes down to insurance money reimbursing you for losses, you don't want to run into an argument that you didn't report it.   

 

[belljr]

Acer I think @Worm posted about this when he was bored

 

[AcerFC]

Acer I think @Worm posted about this when he was bored

Pack?

 

[belljr]

Pack?

New Pack

 

[glvsav37]

I'm going through this right now (the letters from NYS unemployment part. We have not progressed to the debit cards.... yet)

Here's the kicker...I'm apparently filing for unemployment benefits from the company that I OWN????? I'm the only employee and have apparently opened a case against myself?? So i'm getting letters from both the employee and business owner side.    I've called and cant get a human on the line, I've written letters with no response and yet I still get these formatted letters in the mail.

The only sign of hope is that my payroll company sent me a letter saying my unemployment insurance rate actually went down last week, so maybe they squashed the claim and we are just waiting for the state's system to catch up. 

Such incompetence 

 

[JaxBill]

I'm going through this right now (the letters from NYS unemployment part. We have not progressed to the debit cards.... yet)

Here's the kicker...I'm apparently filing for unemployment benefits from the company that I OWN????? I'm the only employee and have apparently opened a case against myself?? So i'm getting letters from both the employee and business owner side.    I've called and cant get a human on the line, I've written letters with no response and yet I still get these formatted letters in the mail.

The only sign of hope is that my payroll company sent me a letter saying my unemployment insurance rate actually went down last week, so maybe they squashed the claim and we are just waiting for the state's system to catch up. 

Such incompetence 

The letters are coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!

 

[Buckna]

I'd report it.   If it comes down to insurance money reimbursing you for losses, you don't want to run into an argument that you didn't report it.   

I’d go ahead and report as well, it took me less than 5 minutes to do so on my county police website. I also had to file a report with the IRS so they don’t try to tax me on the UI benefits.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Happened to me to (university professor) a couple of months ago.  I reported it to the state; my employer was aware.  I followed up with the credit bureaus.  It's been in the news a lot here in Chicago.  Probably not worth reporting to the police.

Ditto.  And I work in insurance - it’s happened to at least 30% of my co-workers.

 

[Godsbrother]

I'm going through this right now (the letters from NYS unemployment part. We have not progressed to the debit cards.... yet)

Here's the kicker...I'm apparently filing for unemployment benefits from the company that I OWN????? I'm the only employee and have apparently opened a case against myself?? So i'm getting letters from both the employee and business owner side.    I've called and cant get a human on the line, I've written letters with no response and yet I still get these formatted letters in the mail.
 

Sounds like a case of a disgruntled employee, ..err  disgruntled employer,  oh hell I don't know but somebody is disgruntled somewhere!

 

[El Floppo]

Sounds like a case of a disgruntled employee, ..err  disgruntled employer,  oh hell I don't know but somebody is disgruntled somewhere!

You rang?

 

[Courtjester]

I got several unemployment debit cards and I would just immediately call and cancel them. The first rep I talked to told me the info to file the first claim was nowhere near my info and so basically they just had my name and address. The 2nd rep I talked to when I got the 2nd card was not very forthcoming, she just told me some of the info was "close" but not exact.

I did the credit freeze thing. I notified my employer. and I actually opened my own unemployment claim because I heard that if you have a preexisting account, it makes it harder for the scammers to open a new claim because you will already have an account