Prevention & Response

Employers

The following are steps employers should take as advised by SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) to prevent fraudulent claims from being paid.

1. Monitor and confirm the legitimacy of all unemployment claim notifications.
2. Respond as instructed in the notification. Each state has its own process for submitting and processing unemployment claims.
3. Educate your employees about the spike in fraudulent claims so they can carefully monitor correspondence and bank accounts and take the appropriate steps to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
4. Review IT security. Employers should consult with their IT department to confirm that databases containing employee information have not been compromised.

Employees

Here are some tips from USA.Gov on how you can help protect yourself against Identity Fraud.

• Secure your Social Security number (SSN). Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Only give out your SSN when necessary.
• Don't share personal information (birthdate, Social Security number, or bank account number) because someone asks for it.
• Collect mail every day. Place a hold on your mail when you are away from home for several days.
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
• Use the security features  on your mobile phone.
• Update sharing and firewall settings  when you're on a public wi-fi network . Use a virtual private network (VPN) , if you use public wi-fi.
• Review your credit card and bank account statements. Compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
• Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards. This can prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
• Store personal information in a safe place.
• Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
• Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess. Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases
• Review your credit reports once a year. Be certain that they don't include accounts that you have not opened. You can order it for free from Annualcreditreport.com.
• Freeze your credit files with Equifax, Experian, Innovis, TransUnion, and the National Consumer Telecommunications and Utilities Exchange for free. Credit freezes prevent someone from applying for and getting approval for a credit account or utility services in your name.

Should you receive a fraudulent notification take the following steps as advised on the KS DOL Page:

Employer:

Notify the impacted employee immediately. The filing of a fraudulent unemployment claim is a sign that an employee’s sensitive personal information is available to criminals.

The employee should take the following steps:

• Contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov.
• Place a fraud alert on their credit record with the three credit bureaus:
• Equifax.....1 (866) 349-5191
• Experian.....1 (888) 397-3742
• TransUnion.....1 (800) 680-7289
• Contact their financial providers (banks, credit card companies, etc.) to flag irregular transactions.
• Check their Social Security earnings statements online to make sure your reported wages are correct. They can do this with a free, personal my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
• Notify the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) fraud hotline at 1-800-908-4490. Request a copy of his/her Wage and Income Transcript from the IRS. Report and dispute any fraudulent earnings listed on the Wage and Income Transcript. Visit the IRS' Identity Theft Central for additional IRS information. Call 1-877-487-2778, between 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Eastern time.

• Report the fraud! Notify both the state unemployment benefits agency and the local police department of the fraud. The U.S. Department of Labor provides employers with resources on how to report unemployment fraud in each state. The State of Kansas has set up a website — ks.gov — where any fake claims should be reported immediately.