NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Nov. 13, 2020
Media Contact: Darlene Carnopis, Darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov
The Idaho Department of Labor reminds Idahoans applying for unemployment insurance to be careful about which websites they access to file for benefits.
Idahoans filing for unemployment insurance benefits should apply online at labor.idaho.gov/ClaimantPortal.
Examples of unemployment insurance fraud that customers should watch for include:
• Fake websites offering to help claimants file for unemployment benefits. These sites ask for confidential / private information including Social Security numbers, street addresses, work history and email addresses. Never give out or enter any information into these websites.
• Charging customers a fee to file for unemployment benefits. The department does not charge a fee for filing for unemployment insurance benefits.
• Scammers asking claimants to upload a copy of their driver’s license, birth certificate and other personally identifiable information to a non-governmental website. Claimants will need to enter a Social Security number and driver’s license when filing for benefits on the Labor website.
Claimants can learn about steps Labor is taking to avoid identity fraud by reading frequently asked questions.
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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