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WARNING: Unemployment ID Theft on the Rise (1 Viewer)

Chadstroma

Chadstroma

Footballguy
https://abc7chicago.com/identity-theft-protection-ftc-social-security/7896442/

A heads up- I have noticed this personally. My wife was recently a victim of unemployment fraud as well as a couple of other extended family members in the last month or so. Essentially, their info is used to file unemployment claims. Pretty simple. The frustrating this is it is very hard to stop or even monitor. My wife and others found out because their employer notified them. 

In the end, with all the data breaches over the years, it isn't a question of if you will be a victim of ID theft, it is a question of when. 

I would suggest signing up with an ID theft protection service. The monthly cost is well worth it to prevent, monitor and help clean up any issues you may end up having. This is what I do (should have done for my wife too).

In the very least, I would suggest signing up with Credit Karma or Credit Sesame if you do not have a free service available otherwise. I am not a huge fan of either and you will be spammed like crazy from them trying to sell you things but it does offer a free way to somewhat monitor your credit and thus your ID. They only monitor two of the three bureaus so I would also once a year check AnnualCreditReport.com as you are allowed one report once a year which will allow you access to all three credit bureaus. Obviously review for any unauthorized tradelines on the report but also any wrong info as well. If you go the Credit Karma/Credit Sesame route, be sure to do the AnnualCreditReport.com once a year so you are keeping an eye on that third credit bureau as well.

If you end up a victim of unemployment fraud. It is important that you act fast to protect yourself. Do the following right away: 

  1. Report the fraud to your employer. Keep notes on who and when you talked to. 
  2. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. Keep notes on who and when you talked to as well as any confirmation or case numbers.
  3. File a police report. 
  4. Visit IdentityTheft.gov It is a good resource to help you report and steps to recover. 

 
Chadstroma said:
https://abc7chicago.com/identity-theft-protection-ftc-social-security/7896442/

A heads up- I have noticed this personally. My wife was recently a victim of unemployment fraud as well as a couple of other extended family members in the last month or so. Essentially, their info is used to file unemployment claims. Pretty simple. The frustrating this is it is very hard to stop or even monitor. My wife and others found out because their employer notified them. 

In the end, with all the data breaches over the years, it isn't a question of if you will be a victim of ID theft, it is a question of when. 

I would suggest signing up with an ID theft protection service. The monthly cost is well worth it to prevent, monitor and help clean up any issues you may end up having. This is what I do (should have done for my wife too).

In the very least, I would suggest signing up with Credit Karma or Credit Sesame if you do not have a free service available otherwise. I am not a huge fan of either and you will be spammed like crazy from them trying to sell you things but it does offer a free way to somewhat monitor your credit and thus your ID. They only monitor two of the three bureaus so I would also once a year check AnnualCreditReport.com as you are allowed one report once a year which will allow you access to all three credit bureaus. Obviously review for any unauthorized tradelines on the report but also any wrong info as well. If you go the Credit Karma/Credit Sesame route, be sure to do the AnnualCreditReport.com once a year so you are keeping an eye on that third credit bureau as well.

If you end up a victim of unemployment fraud. It is important that you act fast to protect yourself. Do the following right away: 

  1. Report the fraud to your employer. Keep notes on who and when you talked to. 
  2. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. Keep notes on who and when you talked to as well as any confirmation or case numbers.
  3. File a police report. 
  4. Visit IdentityTheft.gov It is a good resource to help you report and steps to recover. 
Click to expand...
Someone filed a claim in Michigan in my mother's name.  She's retired and lives in Idaho, so not sure how they thought they would get any money.  But still caused a lot of stress.  

 
Chadstroma said:
https://abc7chicago.com/identity-theft-protection-ftc-social-security/7896442/

A heads up- I have noticed this personally. My wife was recently a victim of unemployment fraud as well as a couple of other extended family members in the last month or so. Essentially, their info is used to file unemployment claims. Pretty simple. The frustrating this is it is very hard to stop or even monitor. My wife and others found out because their employer notified them. 

In the end, with all the data breaches over the years, it isn't a question of if you will be a victim of ID theft, it is a question of when. 

I would suggest signing up with an ID theft protection service. The monthly cost is well worth it to prevent, monitor and help clean up any issues you may end up having. This is what I do (should have done for my wife too).

In the very least, I would suggest signing up with Credit Karma or Credit Sesame if you do not have a free service available otherwise. I am not a huge fan of either and you will be spammed like crazy from them trying to sell you things but it does offer a free way to somewhat monitor your credit and thus your ID. They only monitor two of the three bureaus so I would also once a year check AnnualCreditReport.com as you are allowed one report once a year which will allow you access to all three credit bureaus. Obviously review for any unauthorized tradelines on the report but also any wrong info as well. If you go the Credit Karma/Credit Sesame route, be sure to do the AnnualCreditReport.com once a year so you are keeping an eye on that third credit bureau as well.

If you end up a victim of unemployment fraud. It is important that you act fast to protect yourself. Do the following right away: 

  1. Report the fraud to your employer. Keep notes on who and when you talked to. 
  2. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. Keep notes on who and when you talked to as well as any confirmation or case numbers.
  3. File a police report. 
  4. Visit IdentityTheft.gov It is a good resource to help you report and steps to recover. 
Click to expand...
Don't click on this link.  @Chadstromais trying to steal your unemployment ID

(just kidding)

 
Some insurance companies offer this as a rider to some of their policies.  Also, your bank or credit card may offer this for free.

 
This happened to me last week. State of Kansas sent a letter to my ex-wife that said my benefit claim was in process.  Document had last 4 of my SSN, employment info, and the income info was pretty close.  I filed a report with the Kansas Department of Labor and put a credit alert with the 3 bureaus.  Not sure what else  I can do at this point.  I check my credit score monthly and the full report each year.  

Ex-wife was notified by her employer that someone made a claim on her as well.  

 
Nick Vermeil said:
Someone filed a claim in Michigan in my mother's name.  She's retired and lives in Idaho, so not sure how they thought they would get any money.  But still caused a lot of stress.  
Click to expand...
Both places I work at were notified two years ago that I was filing for unemployment.  I went to file a report at the police station and they were hit also.

 
Both mine and my wife’s credit has been frozen for about 4 years now. I think that may help prevent this? Not sure to be honest.

 
Is $15/mo ID theft protection from Discover worth it? I haven’t checked my bank yet to see if they offer it for less

 
AAABatteries said:
I’m going to ask what I assume is a stupid question but what does unemployment have to do with credit scores?
Click to expand...
Well if the local unemployment office thinks it was paying you unemployment and you were working you will be sent a bill. If somehow you miss the bill you wont fight the bill and wa la credit problems. I presume they wont stop at unemployment fraud either. 

Mostly i think karen, i mean chad, was just making a broader point too about ID theft in general by suggesting credit karma. 

 
Had an application for unemployment show up for one of our drivers....he hasn't missed a day of work all year.

 
Greedo said:
Both mine and my wife’s credit has been frozen for about 4 years now. I think that may help prevent this? Not sure to be honest.
Click to expand...
Not sure how it would. Mine is frozen, but I can't imagine they pull a bureau on you when you file for unemployment. "Oh, sorry, we wanted to give you unemployment but your FICO score was a little to low."

 
Greedo said:
Both mine and my wife’s credit has been frozen for about 4 years now. I think that may help prevent this? Not sure to be honest.
Click to expand...
No, it wouldn't. All that the frozen credit will do is keep someone from opening a loan or credit card in your name.

 
sports_fan said:
Is $15/mo ID theft protection from Discover worth it? I haven’t checked my bank yet to see if they offer it for less
Click to expand...
Not sure what exactly is offered in that. I have a service I use for $20 with the full protection you could pretty much ask for. 

 
AAABatteries said:
I’m going to ask what I assume is a stupid question but what does unemployment have to do with credit scores?
Click to expand...
Nothing really. The suggestion of monitoring your credit is more about your full identity. If they have enough of your info to file an unemployment claim that means that have enough to do more damage as well. In this day and age, it isn't if you will be a victim of ID theft it is when and how bad. It is a smart move to protect yourself. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
This happened to both my wife and I during the 2008 recession.  She filed a report and nothing ever came of it.  I didn't bother.  The state knew it was going on, and didn't do much to stop it.  Think about how easy this crime would be to stop.  Just show up where they are getting the money.  This began when they started sending money out on the Way2Go cards.  This problem didn't exist when we were giving paper checks.

 
Punxsutawney Phil said:
This happened to both my wife and I during the 2008 recession.  She filed a report and nothing ever came of it.  I didn't bother.  The state knew it was going on, and didn't do much to stop it.  Think about how easy this crime would be to stop.  Just show up where they are getting the money.  This began when they started sending money out on the Way2Go cards.  This problem didn't exist when we were giving paper checks.
Click to expand...
So much fraud is just  :shrug: by government and even private enterprise. For example, banks will not do anything even when someone is caught in fraud unless the dollar amount is a certain number because the cost of pursuing charges etc is deemed too much. I worked for a bank's fraud department for a couple of years a while back and it was frustrating to me. I kept making the argument that if they invested in the short term to go after the smaller dollar amount of fraud then they would quickly get a reputation among the fraudsters to avoid them and it would pay off in the long run. With government it is a flood of fraud in some many different ways and areas. Of course, being governement, they do a piss poor job of doing simply things that would prevent it and basically nearly nothing to investigate/prosecute. 

 
Chadstroma said:
https://abc7chicago.com/identity-theft-protection-ftc-social-security/7896442/

A heads up- I have noticed this personally. My wife was recently a victim of unemployment fraud as well as a couple of other extended family members in the last month or so. Essentially, their info is used to file unemployment claims. Pretty simple. The frustrating this is it is very hard to stop or even monitor. My wife and others found out because their employer notified them. 

In the end, with all the data breaches over the years, it isn't a question of if you will be a victim of ID theft, it is a question of when. 

I would suggest signing up with an ID theft protection service. The monthly cost is well worth it to prevent, monitor and help clean up any issues you may end up having. This is what I do (should have done for my wife too).

In the very least, I would suggest signing up with Credit Karma or Credit Sesame if you do not have a free service available otherwise. I am not a huge fan of either and you will be spammed like crazy from them trying to sell you things but it does offer a free way to somewhat monitor your credit and thus your ID. They only monitor two of the three bureaus so I would also once a year check AnnualCreditReport.com as you are allowed one report once a year which will allow you access to all three credit bureaus. Obviously review for any unauthorized tradelines on the report but also any wrong info as well. If you go the Credit Karma/Credit Sesame route, be sure to do the AnnualCreditReport.com once a year so you are keeping an eye on that third credit bureau as well.

If you end up a victim of unemployment fraud. It is important that you act fast to protect yourself. Do the following right away: 

  1. Report the fraud to your employer. Keep notes on who and when you talked to. 
  2. Report the fraud to your state unemployment benefits agency. Keep notes on who and when you talked to as well as any confirmation or case numbers.
  3. File a police report. 
  4. Visit IdentityTheft.gov It is a good resource to help you report and steps to recover. 
Click to expand...
Literally just happened to me last Friday.

 
If someone filed an unemployment claim in your name, doesn't the government contact the employer in some manner?   I thought the employer pays for part of the unemployment.   Not directly related, but everyone should have their credit frozen.   Its so easy to do and free.     

 
Just happened to me yesterday... and apparently 8 other teachers in our school district... people suck

 
NutterButter said:
If someone filed an unemployment claim in your name, doesn't the government contact the employer in some manner?   I thought the employer pays for part of the unemployment.   Not directly related, but everyone should have their credit frozen.   Its so easy to do and free.     
Click to expand...
Yes but you'd be surprised how many employers ignore that kind of stuff. 

 
Pipes said:
Yes but you'd be surprised how many employers ignore that kind of stuff. 
Click to expand...
I could see that especially at a larger company although I would be surprised at a smaller shop where the employee supposedly collecting benefits is a few seats away.    Do you know how an employee gets billed?   Say  they're on the hook for a couple hundred bucks a week (not really sure how much of the $713 I would collect weekly they would have to pay) b/c I'm collecting unemployment.  Do they get a weekly bill from the state for the sum of all the benefits they need to pay for that week?

 
NutterButter said:
I could see that especially at a larger company although I would be surprised at a smaller shop where the employee supposedly collecting benefits is a few seats away.    Do you know how an employee gets billed?   Say  they're on the hook for a couple hundred bucks a week (not really sure how much of the $713 I would collect weekly they would have to pay) b/c I'm collecting unemployment.  Do they get a weekly bill from the state for the sum of all the benefits they need to pay for that week?
Click to expand...
Generally it's not a direct bill unless the business is a nonprofit that opts out of their state UI system.  So every quarter a business files an unemployment tax return which is a tax rate times every employee's wages (up to a certain $ amount) and they remit that to a states UI depart.  Most of that payment goes to a company's reserve balance while a portion goes to the states general UI fund.  An unemployment claim goes against a company's reserve balance (in most states covid related claims do not).  Anyway whenever there is a claim the business gets multiple mailings to provide information, challenge the claim etc.  Generally at least on a monthly basis the business gets a printout of their reserve balance activity for the month.  So a business has numerous chances to verify all charges against their balances.

The higher the reserve balance the lower the tax rate to the businesses are so they have incentive to monitor their account to make sure there are no fraudulent charges.  Reserve balances can go negative.  There is no direct bill to the employer in those instances but their tax rate next year will skyrocket to try to get that reserve balance back into the positives.  Typically with negative reserve balances it takes a few years of a fairly high tax rate to correct that situation.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
NutterButter said:
If someone filed an unemployment claim in your name, doesn't the government contact the employer in some manner?   I thought the employer pays for part of the unemployment.   Not directly related, but everyone should have their credit frozen.   Its so easy to do and free.     
Click to expand...
The wild thing is the states don't contact you if you have been a victim.  It's usually your employer that lets you know.  Other than that most people have no idea.

 
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