Has someone filed for unemployment in your name?
A common scam that we are seeing right now involves someone filing for unemployment using your information. You can receive notice that someone has filed for unemployment in your name a few different ways, including receiving paperwork in the mail from the unemployment office, or your work might notify you that someone has made a claim with your information and your work was contacted to verify if that is correct.
If that happens, the following directions have been taken from the PA Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Compensation website (Fraud FAQs (pa.gov)) regarding what to do if someone has filed for benefits using your information:
How to report someone filing for benefits using your identity
Report Online: To report someone who has filed for UC benefits using your personal information such as your name, Social Security Number, and date of birth without your knowledge or consent, please visit the UC Benefits Website and click "Report Fraud" at the bottom of the page to complete and submit the Identity Theft Form. Do not log in.
To report identity fraud related to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), please click here.
Phone: Call the PA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469, review the Identity Theft form above to ensure you have all the information prepared to provide your report.
You may also want to file a police report with the municipality you resided in at the time the unemployment benefits in question were paid. A copy of the police report must be provided to the Office of Unemployment Compensation.
- The US Department of Labor is recommending that victims of ID Theft should be reporting their information to the National Center for Disaster FraudOpens In A New Window. You may also start a recovery plan with the Federal Trade CommissionOpens In A New Window.
- The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has also provided some helpful tips and instructions to consumers to check your credit more often through the COVID-19 emergency.
