According to the latest statistics from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, more than 16% of New Jersey’s workforce remains unemployed due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
The number of legitimate claims is increasing as the health crisis deepens, as scammers seek to grab that vital help of up to $ 713 a week.
“By our estimates, we have stopped about 100,000 fraudulent claims at the door since the pandemic began, which would have accounted for about $ 1.4 billion in claims,” said Rob Asaro-Angelo, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. from New Jersey.
The commissioner added that an elite team of anti-fraud specialists focuses on these claims.
“I cannot discuss our specific anti-fraud measures; I don’t want to alert potential criminals, but our fraud detection tools are many. They are evolving all the time, ”said the commissioner.
In the past, anti-fraud efforts targeted those who falsely claimed they were unemployed. Now, the biggest problem is identity theft.
“There have been major breaches, whether they are credit reporting agencies or credit card companies, so now the claimant’s personal information is available and accurate, so it’s a bit different than what we’ve dealt with in the past.” , said.
The certification process that is used and the questions that are asked focus on establishing whether someone really is who they say they are.
Asaro-Angelo emphasized that the Labor Department’s systems have not been violated and remain safe.
He said employers have become strong allies in the fight against fraud “primarily because our system is set up so that employers are alerted when someone, one of their former employees, is filing a claim for unemployment.”
“They have been the ones who most often notify us that they have received an unemployment claim from a worker who is still working or who never worked for them,” he explained.
Asaro-Angelo said employers should always review quarterly unemployment notices and notify the Department of Labor immediately if they see anything suspicious.
He also said that it is not a good idea to share personal information on Facebook or other social media sites.
“We see people posting information about their own claim, which they definitely shouldn’t be doing because a scammer can take that information and use it to try and file a claim on their behalf,” he explained.
He noted that the state Department of Labor works with the federal Department of Labor, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, and the Division of Criminal Justice to combat unemployment insurance fraud.
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