Good morning,
I hadn’t planned to write this morning, but here we are. The unemployment identity theft fraud scheme that I wrote about last week has seemingly exploded in Maine over the last few days. Yesterday at my own company, I was startled and disturbed to see unemployment paperwork arrive for two of my team members who I knew for sure had not filed for benefits. So I’m here this morning with an update on how to know if you or your employees have been targeted by the unemployment identity theft fraud and what steps to take if you have.
How will I know if I’ve been targeted with unemployment identify theft fraud?
As an employer, if you receive unemployment paperwork (either electronically or in the mail) related to an employee who did not file for unemployment benefits, this is a sure sign of identity theft fraud. Similarly, if you as an individual receive correspondence related to a claim you did not file, you have likely had your personal information compromised. Don’t just ignore this paperwork. Instead, take the steps below.
What should I do if I suspect fraud?
Employers should alert the employees whose personally identifiable information has been compromised. Employers or employees who have been targeted should also report the fraud to the Maine Department of Labor using this form. You can also report it to the U.S. Department of Justice’s corona virus fraud reporting portal or by calling their hotline here: 1-866-720-5721.
How can I protect myself if my identity has been stolen?
You should visit the FTC’s identity theft website, which will walk you through the process to report and recover from identity theft. Steps such as reviewing your credit reports and notifying credit reporting agencies that you’ve been targeted will help protect you if criminals use your identity to open further fraudulent accounts in your name.
What is the Maine Department of Labor doing about this?
The Maine Department of Labor announced yesterday that it is putting a 48-72 hour hold on payments that would have been issued this week and is going to return to taking 10-14 to pay out initial benefit claims to allow more time to catch fraudulent claims. This unfortunately means further delays in receiving benefits for many individuals who are lawfully entitled to them, as this additional challenge hits DOL’s already overburdened system.
Be well and check your credit report!
With love,
Heather
P.S. You can reach me at heather.sanborn@legislature.maine.gov.
P.P.S. You can subscribe to these updates at heathersanborn.substack.com.