NY prevented scammers from stealing more than $ 5.5 billion in unemployment benefits during the pandemic – Telemundo New York (47)

What you should know

• The New York Department of Labor (DOL) announced Tuesday that it identified more than 425,000 fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. An action that prevented scammers from stealing more than $ 5.5 billion in profits. The vast majority of fraudulent claims were caught before a single penny was paid, and the Department of Labor continues to fight unemployment insurance fraud.
• What criminals or scammers do is use the real identities of New Yorkers to apply for unemployment benefits. These identities have likely been stolen during previous data thefts at banking institutions, insurance companies, and with major employers. Anyone who receives a monetary determination letter from the Department of Labor, but did not apply for unemployment benefits, should immediately report it to the DOL at on.ny.gov/uifraud.
• On the other hand, since the pandemic began in March 2020, the Department of Labor has paid more than $ 65 billion to more than 4 million New Yorkers, representing more than 30 typical years of benefits paid in just 11 months.

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NEW YORK – The New York Department of Labor (DOL) announced Tuesday that it identified more than 425,000 fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. An action that prevented scammers from stealing more than $ 5.5 billion in profits. The vast majority of fraudulent claims were caught before a single penny was paid, and the Department of Labor continues to fight unemployment insurance fraud.

The DOL has so far referred hundreds of thousands of fraud cases to federal prosecutors and continues to work with law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local levels to hold fraudsters accountable.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the Department of Labor has paid more than $ 65 billion to more than 4 million New Yorkers, representing more than 30 typical years of benefits paid in just 11 months.

“Unemployment fraud is sadly a scourge that we have to combat every day, but it is particularly despicable that criminals use a global pandemic as cover to try to defraud our system. These benefits have been a lifesaver for millions of New Yorkers over the past year, and every day our Office of Special Investigations works to protect our system from fraud and abuse, ”said New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “Our team is using technology to identify fraud as quickly as possible and stop these criminals in their tracks. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to bring these thieves to justice. “

What criminals or scammers do is use the real identities of New Yorkers to apply for unemployment benefits. These identities have likely been stolen during previous data thefts at banking institutions, insurance companies, and with major employers.

Anyone who receives a monetary determination letter from the Department of Labor, but did not apply for unemployment benefits, should immediately report it to the DOL at on.ny.gov/uifraud.

Additionally, these New Yorkers must take steps to proactively protect themselves, including those listed in Robodeidentidad.gov, as:

• Change passwords, logins and pins for online accounts, especially banks.

• Place a free fraud alert on your accounts with all three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).

• Get a free credit report from Annual Credit Report.com.

• Report identity theft to the FTC.

• File a report with your local Police Department, if they wish.

• Report a misused social security number.

In addition to the robust investigative efforts of the Office of Special Investigations, the Department of Labor receives information from sources including other government agencies, complainants, and employers to combat fraud. The Department of Labor also works closely with law enforcement partners at all levels, including the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Secret Service, and the FBI.

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