EDD Money Network card vs unexpected NetSpend card - confusion about UI payment method
I'm totally confused about the EDD payment cards. My husband filed for unemployment 3 weeks ago after being laid off from his construction job. Today he received a NetSpend card in the mail out of nowhere - it has zero balance and we never applied for this specific card. Is this what California EDD uses now for unemployment benefits? I thought they used Money Network/BofA cards that are blue and have the California bear on them? Has anyone else received a NetSpend card for their unemployment payments instead of the usual EDD card? We're worried this might be some kind of scam or identity theft issue.
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Naila Gordon
No, EDD does NOT use NetSpend cards! The official California unemployment debit card is a Money Network card (used to be Bank of America). It's white with a blue stripe and has the California state bear logo on it. A random NetSpend card is definitely concerning - either it's a coincidence or possibly identity theft. Your husband should check his UI Online account to see if any payments have been issued, and report this suspicious card.
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Ben Cooper
•Oh gosh, that's what I was afraid of. We'll call EDD tomorrow to make sure his account hasn't been compromised. Any idea how long it typically takes for the real Money Network card to arrive after applying? It's been 3 weeks and we haven't received anything yet.
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Cynthia Love
i got my money network card about 10 days after i filed my claim last month. looks like a white visa card with blue strip. defiintely not netspend. you should freeze that netspend card asap and call them to ask how someone applied in his name!!
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Darren Brooks
•Just to confirm what they're saying - legitimate EDD payments only come through Money Network cards (previously Bank of America until 2022). The card is white with a blue stripe and California bear logo. NetSpend has nothing to do with EDD. You should report this to both NetSpend and potentially file an identity theft report.
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Rosie Harper
This happened to my brother too!!! He got some random card in mail after applying for unemployment and it turned out someone had stolen his info from the EDD website and was trying to redirect his payments!!! The EDD system has TERRIBLE security and hackers are always trying to steal people's benefits. YOU NEED TO CALL EDD IMMEDIATELY!! But good luck getting through - it's literally impossible to reach anyone there. I spent 3 WEEKS trying to call them when this happened to my brother.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•If you're having trouble getting through to EDD on the phone, I'd recommend using Claimyr. They help you skip the phone queue and connect with an EDD agent quickly. Saved me hours of frustration when I was dealing with a similar issue last month. The service basically keeps dialing until it gets through, then connects you. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or just go to claimyr.com - definitely worth it for identity theft concerns that need immediate attention.
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Demi Hall
wait you can setup direct deposit now with EDD! you dont even need to get a card if you dont want to. just login to UI Online and click on payment preferences. My unemployment goes straight to my checking account now instead of dealing with those cards.
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Ben Cooper
•That's really good to know about the direct deposit option! We'll definitely set that up once we confirm his account is secure. This NetSpend card situation has me really worried.
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Mateusius Townsend
My cousin works at EDD and she says there's been a HUGE increase in unemployment fraud lately. Someone probably applied for benefits using your husband's info they stole from somewhere. Definitely call EDD fraud department at 1-800-229-6297 or report it online at their fraud reporting page. Also might wanna check your credit reports!!
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Ben Cooper
•Thanks for the fraud department number! We'll call them first thing tomorrow. We've already frozen the NetSpend card and reported it to NetSpend. Definitely checking credit reports tonight too.
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Naila Gordon
Regarding your question about timing - if your husband filed 3 weeks ago and his claim was approved, he should have received the Money Network card by now. I'd suggest checking his UI Online account to verify his claim status and payment information. Also make sure your mailing address is correct in the system. It's possible his legitimate card was sent but stolen from your mailbox, especially if someone is attempting fraud with his information.
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Darren Brooks
•Excellent point about checking UI Online for payment status. The OP should also check if there have been any address changes made to the account that they didn't authorize. When someone files a fraudulent claim, they often try to change the mailing address for the card. Also, I'd recommend setting up informed delivery with USPS so you can see what mail is coming to your address each day. That way you'll know if something like the real EDD card is supposed to arrive.
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Cynthia Love
glad ur checking into this! also maybe freeze ur credit reports with all 3 agencies just to be safe!! identity theft is no joke these days :
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Ben Cooper
UPDATE: We got through to EDD (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - it actually worked!). They confirmed his claim is still in review and they haven't issued any payments or cards. The NetSpend card was completely unrelated - apparently someone tried to open a bank account using his info. We've filed a police report and frozen his credit. Thank you everyone for your help and quick responses! Crisis averted!
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Naila Gordon
•Really glad to hear you got it sorted out! Great job taking quick action. For your husband's legitimate claim, just know that the first 2-3 weeks can sometimes involve a waiting period plus processing time. Since his claim is still under review, you might want to ask EDD if they need any additional documentation from him to complete the process. Sometimes claims get held up if they're missing wage information or other details.
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Hunter Hampton
So glad you got this resolved! This is a perfect example of why everyone needs to be vigilant about identity theft these days. Just wanted to add that while his claim is under review, your husband should keep certifying for benefits every two weeks even if he hasn't received payments yet. That way once the claim is approved, he'll get backpay for all the weeks he was eligible. The review process can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks depending on the complexity of his case. Stay on top of it and don't hesitate to call EDD again if you don't hear anything within another week or two!
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Omar Zaki
•This is such valuable advice about continuing to certify! I had no idea you could still certify while under review. We were worried about missing deadlines or messing something up. Thanks for clarifying that - we'll make sure he keeps up with his bi-weekly certifications. Hopefully the review wraps up soon so we can get those backpayments!
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Freya Christensen
Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar scare last year! It's crazy how common these identity theft attempts are becoming with unemployment benefits. For anyone else reading this thread - definitely sign up for credit monitoring services if you haven't already, and consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports even if you haven't been victimized yet. Prevention is so much easier than cleanup! Also, the fact that you got through to EDD using Claimyr gives me hope - I've been struggling to reach them about my own claim issue for weeks. Glad everything worked out for you!
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Emily Thompson
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It really does seem like these scams are getting more sophisticated and targeting unemployment benefits specifically. I'm definitely going to look into credit monitoring services now - do you have any recommendations for which ones are most effective? And yes, the Claimyr service was honestly a lifesaver. I was dreading spending hours on hold trying to reach EDD, but it connected us within like 15 minutes. Worth every penny when you're dealing with potential fraud!
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Natasha Orlova
Just wanted to add my experience for anyone else who might encounter this situation - I work in banking and see these NetSpend scam attempts frequently. What likely happened is someone used your husband's personal information (SSN, name, address) to apply for a NetSpend account, probably hoping to redirect unemployment payments or use it for other fraudulent purposes. The good news is that you caught it early and took all the right steps! For future protection, I'd also recommend setting up account alerts with your bank and consider using a service like LifeLock or Identity Guard for ongoing monitoring. These scammers often try multiple times with the same stolen info. Also, keep that police report number handy - you might need it if other fraudulent accounts pop up in his name down the road.
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Brady Clean
•This is really helpful insight from someone in the banking industry! I had no idea NetSpend was commonly used in these types of scams. Your point about scammers trying multiple times with the same stolen info is particularly concerning - we'll definitely look into those monitoring services you mentioned. Do you know if there's a way to put some kind of alert or flag on his SSN to prevent future unauthorized account openings? We want to be as proactive as possible since this was such a close call.
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