Tag Archives: scams

Labor Department Partners with ID.me for Claimant Identity Verification

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Jan. 7, 2021
Media Contacts: Darlene Carnopis, darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov or Georgia Smith, georgia.smith@labor.idaho.gov

The Idaho Department of Labor has partnered with ID.me for unemployment insurance claimant identity verification.

The information gathered from claimants is needed to make sure others are not filing claims using the person’s name and other personally identifying information. This is one step Labor is taking to help prevent fraud.

Thousands upon thousands of unemployment insurance claims have been filed by scammers using false or stolen identities across the country. It is estimated these scammers have siphoned off $36 billion in fraudulent unemployment payments from states since the start of the pandemic and the implementation of the CARES Act.

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Labor Department Seeks Help in Preventing Fraud

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.

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Filing for UI Benefits? Double Check that Website.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2020
Information Contact: Georgia Smith, (208) 332-3570 ext. 2102

Beware of Unemployment Insurance Scams

Idahoans applying for unemployment insurance for the first time should be extra vigilant about what websites they access to file for benefits, according to the Department of Labor.

“People need to be careful,” said Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier. “If you are applying for unemployment benefits, make sure you enter your information into a labor.idaho.gov webpage and not a fake website designed to steal personally identifiable information.”

First-time filers for unemployment insurance represent a large share of Idahoans applying for benefits, and according to the department’s IT security team, hackers are taking full advantage of the urgency people feel around COVID-19.

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