EDD fraud alert: Unknown employers on husband's SDI claim - worried about reporting while payments pending

This is definitely wage theft/identity fraud and you need to report it RIGHT AWAY. Call EDD fraud department at 1-800-229-6297 or report online. They have a specific process for handling this that SHOULDN'T impact your legitimate claim, but you need to be proactive. The longer this goes unreported, the worse it could get for you guys. Also call the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on his credit report.

omg the same exact thing happened 2 my brother last yr!! those fake employers will def cause problems with his taxes later. call edd asap and also file police report

You're in a tricky situation, but based on my experience with EDD, you should report this immediately while specifically mentioning your pending SDI claim. EDD has separate departments handling fraud and disability claims. When you report, ask them to note in the system that the fraud is related to wage reporting only and not to your current SDI claim. Call early in the morning when their phone lines first open. Most people don't realize EDD's fraud department actually picks up much more reliably than their claims department. Request a fraud investigator and get a case number specifically for the wage reporting issue. Also, document EVERYTHING. Take screenshots of those incorrect wage reports, write down the names of anyone you speak with, get confirmation numbers for all reports filed. This documentation will be crucial if there are any delays or issues with your husband's SDI claim.

if u report it u WILL get ur account frozen trust me been there. EDD doesnt care if u need money they just lock everything down while they "investigate" which takes FOREVER. my cousin waited 3 months with no income after he reported fraud. if u need the money now maybe wait till u get paid first then report?? just my 2 cents

On a bit of a tangent but my aunt had something similar happen with her unemployment - turned out someone used her info to get benefits in 2020 during the pandemic. She found out when she got a tax form for benefits she never received! The whole thing took like 6 months to sort out and the IRS was involved and everything. So definitley better to deal with it sooner rather than later!

You absolutely need to report this immediately. This is a clear case of identity theft. Here's exactly what to do: 1. Contact EDD's fraud department at 1-800-229-6297 2. File an identity theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov 3. Place a fraud alert with all three credit bureaus 4. File a police report in your local jurisdiction 5. Contact the Social Security Administration to alert them of potential SSN misuse Most importantly, when speaking with EDD, explicitly explain that you have a PENDING SDI claim that is legitimate and separate from this wage fraud issue. Request that they note this in their system and ask for written confirmation that your SDI claim will continue to be processed. Typically, EDD can flag the fraudulent wages without delaying legitimate claims, but you need to be proactive and very clear about separating these issues.

Have been having terrible luck reaching EDD about my own identity theft issue for the past month. Regular phone number is completely useless - constant busy signals or disconnects. I finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they have a system that basically waits on hold for you and calls when an agent is available. Saved me hours of redial hell. Their video demo shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km For fraud specifically, I'd recommend trying to call the fraud line first (sometimes easier to get through), but if you have no luck, Claimyr works for that too. Identity theft is stressful enough without the added frustration of not being able to reach anyone!

Just to follow up on your question about contacting the IRS - yes, you should also inform them. You can call the IRS Identity Theft Hotline at 1-800-908-4490. They may recommend filing Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) if there's concern about tax return fraud. And regarding contacting those businesses - yes, it's worth calling them as well. Their HR departments should be informed that someone is potentially using their company information fraudulently. They may already be aware of the issue or can provide information that helps your case.

One important thing to remember when dealing with this situation: SDI claims (disability) are handled by a completely different department than UI (unemployment) claims at EDD. This is actually good news for you, because fraud is typically more common with unemployment than disability. When you contact EDD, make sure you specify this is regarding an SDI claim with fraudulent wage reporting, not UI. The representatives are trained differently and access different systems depending on the benefit type. This distinction helps ensure you're directed to the right people who can help with your specific situation without unnecessarily disrupting the pending SDI claim process.

update us when u figure it out! my friend might be dealing with something similar right now!!

I just wanted to add that you should consider requesting an IRS PIN for future tax filings. It's an extra layer of protection that prevents anyone from filing taxes using your husband's SSN without the special PIN. It's free and gives you peace of mind knowing that even if someone has his SSN, they can't file fraudulent tax returns in his name.

I went through something very similar last year with my wife's SDI claim. We discovered fraudulent wage reports from employers she'd never worked for right after filing for disability benefits. I was terrified it would mess up her legitimate claim, but here's what actually happened: We reported it immediately to EDD's fraud department and were very clear that we had a pending SDI claim that was legitimate. The fraud investigator was actually really helpful and made notes in the system to keep the two issues separate. Her SDI payments weren't delayed at all - they processed normally while the fraud investigation happened in the background. The key is being upfront about both issues when you call. Don't try to hide the pending SDI claim or wait to report the fraud. EDD deals with this more often than you'd think, and they have processes in place to handle both simultaneously. One thing that really helped us was getting everything in writing. After each phone call, I'd send a follow-up email through their online portal summarizing what was discussed and asking for confirmation. This created a paper trail that proved we were being proactive about reporting the fraud. The whole fraud investigation took about 2 months to fully resolve, but it didn't impact her disability benefits at all. Good luck!