NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2020
Information Contact: Darlene Carnopis, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3439

The Idaho Department of Labor is asking for the public’s help in preventing unemployment insurance fraud.

“Idaho employers and workers are our first – and best –  line of defense against unemployment insurance fraud,” said Jani Revier, Labor director.

The department is asking people who are notified by the department that a claim has been filed when they did not file the claim, to send an email to fraud@labor.idaho.gov. Do not include personally identifiable information such as a Social Security number in the email. A Labor employee will follow up for more information. Employers who notice a claim has been filed for one of their employees who is still working, should also alert the department.

States throughout the country are seeing increases in fraud while processing an unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Detailed information about U.S. citizens, such as Social Security numbers, appears to have been obtained through past cyber breaches other states have reported and is being used to file claims under their names.

For more information on protecting yourself from an online crime, visit the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division website or call 1-800-432-3545 (statewide) or (208) 334-2424.

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