EDD Money Network sent my funds to wrong bank account - THEFT?!

I'm freaking out right now. I certified for my EDD benefits last Sunday and was expecting my payment to hit my Money Network card yesterday. When nothing showed up, I called their customer service line (took FOREVER to get through) and the rep told me something that made my heart drop - apparently my funds were transferred to a personal bank account that ISN'T MINE!!! They gave me the last 4 digits of this mystery account and I have NO IDEA whose account that is. I've NEVER set up direct deposit and always just used the card. The Money Network rep said they can't reverse the transaction since it's already been processed. Has my identity been stolen? Has this happened to anyone else? Who do I even contact about this - EDD or Money Network? I'm missing over $1,200 and rent is due next week!

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28 comments

Angelina Farar

•9M

This is unfortunately becoming more common. What you're experiencing is likely account takeover fraud. When did you last change your UI Online password? I recommend taking these immediate steps: 1. Call EDD directly to report unauthorized access (this is critical) 2. File a fraud report with Money Network separately 3. Change ALL your passwords (email, UI Online, banking sites) 4. Check if any contact information was changed in your UI Online account 5. Put a freeze on your credit reports with all three bureaus EDD will need to conduct an investigation which can take 10-14 business days. In the meantime, request they stop any further payments until your account is secured.

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Erika Manzanero

•5M

@Angelina Farar Hi, I just came across this thread and I wish I would have seen it last year. I was receiving SDI and getting my payments deposited into a Money Network card. At that time I was told direct deposit was not available so I just figured once the deposit hits my MN account then I would transfer to my bank account, then in August 2024, 2 of my payments were issued into my MN and then direct deposited into a Bank account that never belonged to me. Both payments were showing as “direct deposited” into a bank that I have never heard of called The Bancorp bank. When I spoke with a representative at Money Network, I was told that I had to contact the EDD department since they are responsible of any payments and/or changes. I looked into my EDD account and my payment option was no longer showing as “Debit Card” but it had been updated to “Direct deposit” but for whatever reason MyEDD does not reflect any type of bank or account information where the money is going to. I was able to get the bank’s name from the auto recording when calling Money Network and also the last 4 digits of the account it was deposited into. Money Network refused to provide me with any additional information as they could not “violate customer’s privacy” which mind you, it is my SDI income that is missing so I have no idea what customer they were protecting. I updated the direct deposit information to my bank account but when I asked a EDD representative how can I be sure the information will not be changed again since my profile does not state the bank name or account info to where it goes to, the representative just stated they do not keep track of bank information and cannot reflect it on our EDD profile since it is MN the ones doing the direct deposit. I called EDD but was never able to get through so I went in person to the office just so they can tell me that they only send the payment to Money Network and Money Network is responsible to distribute it. They kept me going back and forth with no resolution. To this day, I never received a call back from any investigator, and both payments are still missing. Which is very frustrating. I truly hope you have better luck.

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Sebastián Stevens

•9M

I had a similar situation back in January! But mine was the reverse problem - money disappeared from my Money Network card and I couldn't figure out where it went. Turned out someone had somehow accessed my account and changed my contact info. The only way I got it resolved was by reaching EDD directly and filing a fraud claim. Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an EDD rep? I wasted 3 days trying to call on my own, then used their service at claimyr.com and got through in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km In my case, EDD was able to stop the fraudulent activity and eventually reissued my benefits, but it took almost 3 weeks. Don't wait on this - it's definitely fraud!

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Rebecca Johnston

•9M

I work with identity theft cases, and this is absolutely account takeover fraud. Here's what's odd - if your UI Online still shows the card as your payment method but Money Network says the funds went to a bank account, that suggests the fraud might be happening within Money Network's system, not EDD's. You need to: 1. File a police report immediately (you'll need this for the fraud claim) 2. Contact EDD's fraud department at 1-800-229-6297 (different from their regular number) 3. File a complaint with the CFPB against Money Network 4. Submit a fraud claim with Money Network - they are required by federal regulation to investigate Money Network's claim that they "can't reverse the transaction" is not accurate. Under Regulation E, they have obligations to investigate unauthorized transfers. Be persistent and document every conversation.

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Angelina Farar

•9M

Glad to hear you got through to the fraud department! One critical thing I forgot to mention: set up email notifications for ANY activity on your UI Online account. This will alert you immediately if someone tries to make changes in the future. Also, once this is resolved, consider switching to direct deposit if you have a secure bank account. While Money Network has improved their fraud detection, direct deposit generally has fewer issues with unauthorized access. Just make sure you're using 2-factor authentication on everything.

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Fatima Al-Farsi

•6M

This is absolutely terrifying and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! I'm relatively new to EDD benefits and reading this makes me want to double-check everything on my account immediately. A few questions for my own peace of mind - should I be checking my UI Online account regularly for any changes? And is there a way to set up alerts if someone tries to log into my account? I'm paranoid now that this could happen to anyone. Really hoping you get your money back quickly - the fact that rent is due next week adds so much stress to an already awful situation. Thank you for sharing this because I had no idea this type of fraud was even possible with EDD accounts.

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Omar Hassan

•5M

Yes, definitely check your UI Online account regularly! I've learned so much from this nightmare. Here are some things I wish I had done earlier: 1) Log in at least weekly to check that your contact info and payment method haven't changed, 2) Turn on email notifications for ALL account activity (you can do this in your UI Online settings), 3) Use a strong, unique password and change it every few months, 4) Never access UI Online from public wifi. Unfortunately there's no direct login alert feature, but the email notifications will catch most suspicious changes. The scariest part is how easily this can happen to anyone - I thought I was being careful but clearly wasn't careful enough. Really hoping my experience helps others avoid this mess!

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Samantha Howard

•5M

I'm so sorry this happened to you! Reading through all the advice here, it sounds like you're taking all the right steps now. One thing I wanted to add - if you have any credit monitoring services (like through your bank or Credit Karma), check those too. Sometimes fraudsters will use stolen info to open new accounts or apply for credit. Also, consider putting fraud alerts on your credit reports with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) - it's free and adds an extra layer of protection. The fact that your UI Online account still shows the card as your payment method is really concerning and suggests this might be happening at Money Network's end. Keep documenting everything and don't let them brush you off. You have rights under federal banking regulations and they are required to investigate. Hoping you get this resolved quickly!

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Miguel Ramos

•4M

This is such great advice! I hadn't even thought about credit monitoring. I just checked Credit Karma and thankfully don't see any new accounts or inquiries, but I'm definitely going to put fraud alerts on all three bureaus today. You're absolutely right about documenting everything - I've been keeping screenshots and notes from every phone call. The Money Network fraud department actually called me again yesterday and confirmed they're treating this as an internal security breach since there's no evidence my UI Online account was compromised. They said they've identified several similar cases in the past month and are working with law enforcement. Still waiting for my money back but at least it sounds like they're taking it seriously now. Thank you for the reminder about my rights - I was feeling pretty helpless at first but all the support and advice here has been incredible!

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Giovanni Martello

•3M

This is absolutely infuriating and I'm so sorry you're going through this! The fact that Money Network initially told you they "can't reverse the transaction" is complete BS - they absolutely can and are required to investigate under federal banking regulations. I went through something similar last year (though not as much money) and had to really push back hard on their customer service reps who kept giving me the runaround. One thing that helped me was keeping a detailed log of every single phone call - date, time, rep name, reference numbers, and exactly what they told me. When I escalated to a supervisor and showed them the inconsistencies in what different reps had told me, they suddenly became much more cooperative. Also, if you haven't already, send them a written dispute letter via certified mail in addition to calling. Sometimes the written paper trail gets routed to a different department that's more responsive than the phone reps. Make sure to include phrases like "unauthorized electronic fund transfer" and reference Regulation E - that usually gets their attention. Really hoping you get this resolved quickly, especially with rent due. This kind of fraud is becoming way too common and it's unacceptable that legitimate claimants have to fight so hard to get their own money back.

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Sophia Long

•3M

@Giovanni Martello Thank you so much for this advice! You re'absolutely right about keeping detailed logs - I started doing that after reading some of the earlier comments but wish I had from the beginning. I m'definitely going to send a certified letter today using the language you suggested about unauthorized "electronic fund transfer and" Regulation E. The inconsistency between reps has been maddening - one told me it was impossible to reverse, another said they could investigate but it would take 30+ days, and then the fraud department said they could expedite it. It s'like they re'all working with different information or policies. I m'really glad to hear you were able to get your situation resolved by pushing back and escalating. It gives me hope that persistence will pay off. The written paper trail is a great idea too - I ve'been relying mostly on phone calls but having everything documented in writing definitely seems more official and harder to ignore. This whole experience has been such an eye-opener about how vulnerable these systems are and how much we have to advocate for ourselves when things go wrong. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience and advice!

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Dananyl Lear

•17d

This is absolutely terrifying! I've been on EDD for about 6 months now and always assumed the Money Network card was safe since it's the "official" method. Reading your story and all these comments has me checking my account obsessively now. I had no idea that fraudsters could somehow bypass the UI Online system and make changes directly through Money Network - that seems like a massive security flaw! The fact that your UI Online still shows the correct payment method but Money Network sent your funds elsewhere is so concerning. Thank you for sharing this even though you're going through such a stressful situation. I'm definitely going to enable all those email notifications and change my passwords tonight. Also bookmarking that EDD fraud number (1-800-229-6297) just in case. Really hope you get your $1,200 back before rent is due. Keep us updated on how the investigation goes - it sounds like you're doing everything right by being so persistent and documenting everything. This community has given you some amazing advice and it's clear you're not alone in dealing with this type of fraud.

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