This has been such an incredibly helpful thread to read through as someone new to navigating EDD issues. The progression from the initial panic of receiving an unexpected card to the systematic resolution really shows how important it is to act quickly and get the right guidance. I'm particularly impressed by how this community came together with both practical advice and personal experiences to help solve what could have been a much more complicated situation. The cybersecurity insights about why people with previous claims are targeted more frequently really opened my eyes - I never would have considered that angle. And seeing multiple people confirm they've dealt with similar fraud attempts makes it clear this isn't just an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern we all need to be aware of. I'm definitely going to follow the proactive steps mentioned here - creating an EDD online account, considering a credit freeze, and bookmarking all those phone numbers and resources. It's unfortunate that we have to be so vigilant, but threads like this make it much easier to know exactly what to do if something similar happens. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise!

As someone who's been following this thread from the beginning, I'm really impressed by how this community rallied around you with such detailed, actionable advice. What started as a scary situation turned into an incredibly educational resource for all of us. The progression from initial confusion to successful resolution really highlights the importance of not ignoring these red flags and acting quickly. I wanted to add one more tip that might be helpful for others: consider setting up account alerts with your bank and credit card companies if you haven't already. Many financial institutions offer free notifications for new account openings or credit inquiries using your SSN. This can help catch identity theft attempts early, sometimes even before fraudulent unemployment claims get filed. It's also worth noting that some states are starting to implement more robust identity verification systems for unemployment claims due to the surge in fraud. California has been working on improvements, though clearly there's still work to be done based on everyone's experiences here. Thanks for sharing this journey with us and creating what's basically become a masterclass in handling EDD fraud. This thread should be required reading for anyone who's ever filed an unemployment claim!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Got fired two weeks ago for what my manager called "attitude problems" after I questioned a new policy that seemed to violate labor laws. No prior disciplinary actions in 4 years of employment. I filed my claim last Monday and I'm still waiting to hear back. The anxiety is killing me because everyone keeps saying different things about whether misconduct cases have any chance. Reading through these comments is actually giving me some hope - especially seeing that @Salim Nasir won his appeal for "insubordination." @Connor O'Brien - definitely document everything you remember about that customer interaction ASAP. I wish I had done that right away instead of waiting a week. Also, if you have any positive performance reviews or employee recognition, gather those too. From what I'm reading here, having proof of your good work history seems really important. Has anyone here had experience with what happens if you find a new job while your appeal is still pending? Do you still get the backpay if you win?

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I'm a former EDD claims examiner (worked there for 6 years before moving to private sector). Your situation is definitely not a slam dunk denial like some people are suggesting. When we reviewed misconduct cases, we had to look at several factors: severity of the act, whether it was willful vs. a mistake, prior disciplinary history, and whether the employee knew their job was in jeopardy. A single verbal altercation with a difficult customer after 3 years of clean service doesn't automatically meet California's misconduct standard. The key phrase EDD uses is "substantial breach of duty showing willful disregard for employer's interests." Getting frustrated with an unreasonable customer isn't the same as theft, violence, or deliberate policy violations. Your clean record actually carries significant weight in these determinations. Some practical advice: When you file, be completely honest about what happened but don't overly dramatize or downplay it. Just state the facts. If you get a phone interview, stay calm and professional - how you handle yourself during that call often influences the examiner's decision more than people realize. File immediately and don't let fear of denial stop you. I've seen plenty of cases like yours get approved, especially when the claimant presented their side clearly and had witnesses to the customer's behavior. Good luck!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm an exempt HR coordinator myself (yes, the irony isn't lost on me) and I'm honestly embarrassed by how many HR departments seem to be spreading this misinformation. In my experience, a lot of this confusion stems from outdated training materials and the fact that employment law is constantly evolving. Many HR professionals learned the basics years ago and haven't kept up with current regulations or clarifications. What really bothers me is that this isn't just an innocent mistake - when employees are denied benefits they've been paying into through payroll deductions, it can have serious financial consequences during already stressful times. I'm going to use this thread as a case study to review our own department's benefits training and make sure we're giving accurate information. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's a good reminder that even HR professionals need to continuously educate themselves and verify information rather than relying on assumptions or outdated knowledge. For anyone dealing with similar situations: always ask to see the specific policy or regulation that supposedly disqualifies you. If HR can't provide it, that's a red flag that they might be operating on incorrect assumptions.

As someone who's been working in California for over a decade, this thread is both incredibly helpful and deeply frustrating. I had no idea this misinformation was so widespread across HR departments! I'm currently an exempt project manager and thankfully haven't needed to use SDI yet, but reading all these experiences makes me realize I should probably double-check my own understanding of my benefits before I ever need them. The fact that so many companies are giving the same incorrect information suggests there's definitely a systemic problem with how HR professionals are being trained on these topics. What really strikes me is how many people mentioned seeing "CA SDI" deductions on their paystubs for years - that should be the clearest indicator that you're eligible! If you're paying into the system, you should absolutely be covered by it. I'm bookmarking this thread as a resource and will definitely remember everyone's advice about going directly to EDD for verification rather than relying solely on company HR. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and legal knowledge - this is exactly the kind of community support that can help people navigate these confusing situations!

I'm going through the exact same waiting period right now! Got approved 5 days ago and have been anxiously checking my mailbox every single day. This entire thread has been such a relief to read - I was starting to worry something was wrong since it's been almost a week with no card. The tip about the plain white envelope looking like junk mail is absolutely crucial! I've been expecting something official with EDD branding and would have definitely thrown away a plain envelope. And learning that the cards ship from Ohio totally explains the longer delivery time. I'm definitely calling Bank of America tomorrow using that 1-866-692-9374 number to verify my address is correct after seeing so many people mention issues with that. Better to double-check now than wait for nothing to show up! The waiting is so stressful when bills are due soon, but seeing everyone's consistent 7-10 business day timelines gives me hope that mine should arrive early next week. Planning to immediately set up direct deposit once I get the card to avoid this anxiety for future payments. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this community support means everything when EDD's phone system is impossible to navigate! 🙏

I'm currently on day 8 of waiting for my Money Network card and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's experiences has really calmed my nerves about the timeline. I called Bank of America yesterday using that 1-866-692-9374 number and they confirmed my card was mailed 6 days ago to the correct address. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - the Bank of America rep mentioned that if you're in a rural area or somewhere with limited mail service, it can sometimes take the full 10 business days or even slightly longer due to routing. She said not to panic if it hits day 10 without arriving, especially if you've confirmed it was actually mailed. The plain white envelope tip from everyone here is so valuable! I've been carefully checking every piece of mail and almost missed what I thought was a credit card offer yesterday (thankfully wasn't my EDD card, but definitely looked similar to what everyone's describing). Hang in there to everyone else waiting - based on all these timelines, most of us should have our cards by early next week. Planning to immediately set up direct deposit once mine arrives to avoid this stress for future payments! 🤞

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this exact same situation a few months ago. The credit freeze issue is absolutely real and such a hidden problem! But I also discovered that if you have any kind of identity monitoring service (like through your bank or credit card company), those can sometimes interfere too because they put alerts on your credit file. One more thing that helped me - after lifting the credit freeze, I waited about 24 hours before trying ID.me again. Apparently it can take time for the freeze lift to propagate through all the systems they check against. I was so eager to try immediately after lifting it that I got rejected again, which was super discouraging. Also, pro tip: screenshot everything during the verification process! If something goes wrong during the video call or the system glitches, having screenshots of your progress can help when you contact support. The ID.me customer service is actually pretty helpful once you can get through to them (unlike EDD lol). Hope this helps anyone else dealing with this nightmare! The system is definitely designed to be frustrating, but persistence really does pay off.

As someone who just joined this community while dealing with my own ID.me nightmare, this entire thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the credit freeze issue - I've been stuck for almost 2 weeks thinking it was just bad photo quality. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that ID.me's error messaging is absolutely terrible. They should just tell you "credit freeze detected" instead of making you think your documents are the problem. It's almost like they want people to give up! I'm definitely going to try the credit freeze lift + 24 hour wait approach that @Owen Devar mentioned. And @Amara Nnamani's tip about temporary 30-day lifts is brilliant - I was worried about leaving my credit permanently unprotected. Thank you @Diego Castillo for starting this discussion and especially for coming back with updates. Success stories like yours give the rest of us hope that we can actually get through this broken system. Fingers crossed I'll have my own success update to share soon!