DEO direct deposit suddenly changed - my payments going to wrong account! Need urgent contact info

This happened to me in February! You need to immediately report this to DEO's fraud department. Email Reemployment.Fraud@deo.myflorida.com with your claimant ID, last 4 of SSN, and explanation of what happened. Include when you noticed the change and which payments were affected. Also go into CONNECT and update your banking info + change your PIN immediately. Then call your bank to report unauthorized activity on your unemployment account. They might have a fraud specialist who can help track where those payments went.

OMG this is one of my biggest fears!!! Did u have 2-factor authentication set up? I thought they were supposed to send a verification code to ur phone when banking info gets changed??? This is so scary, now I'm paranoid about checking my account. Hope u get ur money back!!!!

I work with DEO issues regularly, and unfortunately, this type of fraud has increased over the past year. Here's what you need to do immediately: 1. File a police report with your local department for identity theft 2. Contact DEO fraud department at Reemployment.Fraud@deo.myflorida.com (as mentioned above) 3. Also send a detailed report to DEO.Feedback@deo.myflorida.com as a backup 4. Change your CONNECT PIN and password 5. Check your credit reports for any other suspicious activity DEO will typically freeze your account during investigation, so be prepared for that. Recovery of funds can take 30-45 days in most cases I've seen. Document everything meticulously, including screenshots of the unauthorized bank account info if you can still see it.

U guys realize the DEO does this stuff on purpose sometimes, right? They're looking for ANY reason to not pay people. Ive heard so many stories about "banking errors" where the money just disappears. Not saying someone didnt hack ur account but wouldnt surprise me if this was another DEO trick to save $$. The whole system is corrupt.

after i had trouble reaching anyone at deo about my identity verification issue i used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually got me through to a live agent in like 20 mins! they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj you might want to try that since this is obviously something you need to talk to a real person about asap. email is good but for something like changed banking info you probably want to talk to someone directly

this happened to my sister. make sure u change ur email password too cuz thats probably how they got in. they wait for the payment notification email then go change ur banking info

Update to my previous advice: After you've contacted the fraud department, I also recommend calling the direct line for the DEO Benefit Payment Control Unit at 850-245-7402. This is the specialized department that handles payment issues and they can sometimes expedite the investigation process. Be prepared with your claimant ID, the dates of the compromised payments, and the last four digits of both your actual account and the fraudulent account (if you can see it).

@Original Poster - yes they did help with my issue! took about a week for everything to get fixed but at least i was able to talk to someone who could see my account and confirm they were working on it. worth a try considering how serious your situation is

I found the 2-factor setup! Go to the CONNECT homepage after login, click on "View and Maintain Account Information" under the Main Menu, then scroll down to security settings and there's an option to verify your phone number for authentication.

To answer your earlier question - it took DEO about 3 weeks to fully investigate my case, and I did get my money back eventually. They issued a paper check instead of direct deposit for security reasons. The key was following up persistently (but politely) every 4-5 days. Document every call/email with date, time, and who you spoke with. Hope this helps!

This is absolutely terrifying! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like you're taking all the right steps. I'd also recommend checking if your email account was compromised - sometimes hackers get into your email first to intercept DEO notifications, then change your banking info. Also, while you're waiting for DEO to respond, consider reaching out to your state representative's office. They often have direct contacts at DEO and can help escalate urgent fraud cases like this. Many of them have constituent services that specifically deal with unemployment issues. Keep us posted on how this turns out - your experience could help others who face the same situation!

Just wanted to add another resource that might help - if you're having trouble getting through to DEO by phone, try contacting your local CareerSource office. They often have direct connections to DEO and can sometimes help escalate fraud cases or at least verify that your case is being processed. My local office helped me when I had payment issues last year. Also, make sure to keep checking your CONNECT account daily for any updates or messages from DEO. Sometimes they'll request additional documentation during the fraud investigation and you want to respond as quickly as possible to avoid delays. Really hope you get this resolved soon - $1,100 is a lot of money to have tied up in a fraud investigation!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is exactly why I check my CONNECT account obsessively every few days. A few additional things that might help while you're dealing with this nightmare: 1. File a complaint with the Florida Attorney General's office online - they have a consumer fraud division that tracks these issues and sometimes that gets DEO's attention faster. 2. If you haven't already, freeze your credit with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) in case the fraudsters got more of your personal info. 3. Document EVERYTHING - take screenshots of your CONNECT account showing the unauthorized bank account info before it gets removed, save all emails, keep a log of every phone call attempt with times/dates. 4. Consider posting in some of the Florida unemployment Facebook groups too - sometimes people there have contacts or have dealt with similar situations recently. The fact that you caught this relatively quickly (only 4 payments) is actually good - I've seen cases where people didn't notice for months. Stay persistent but don't let this consume you completely. From what others have shared, it sounds like you're doing all the right things and there's a good chance you'll get your money back, even though the process is frustrating. Sending you good vibes that this gets resolved ASAP! 🤞

This is such a nightmare scenario! I'm really glad you caught this relatively quickly though. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you have any recent pay stubs or tax documents, make sure to secure those too since identity thieves sometimes use unemployment fraud as a stepping stone to file fraudulent tax returns. Also, when you call that Benefit Payment Control Unit number that CosmicCadet shared (850-245-7402), try calling right at 8 AM when they open - I've had better luck getting through early in the morning before the lines get jammed. Another thought - if you bank with a major institution, they might have a dedicated fraud department that deals specifically with government benefit theft. They've seen this before and might be able to provide additional guidance or even help track where those payments actually went. Keep fighting for your money - $1,100 is absolutely worth the effort and persistence it's going to take to get it back. The system is frustrating but from what others have shared, there's definitely hope for recovery. Stay strong! 💪

This is such a comprehensive thread with amazing advice! I went through something similar last fall and want to add one more resource that really helped me. In addition to all the great suggestions here, consider reaching out to your local legal aid office - many of them have benefits advocacy programs that can help navigate DEO issues for free. They know the system inside and out and can sometimes get faster responses than individuals calling on their own. Also, when you do get through to DEO, ask them to put a security flag on your account to prevent any future unauthorized changes. This should trigger additional verification steps if someone tries to modify your information again. One last tip - if you're comfortable with it, consider temporarily switching to paper checks instead of direct deposit once you get this resolved. Yes, it's less convenient, but it eliminates the risk of banking info being changed fraudulently in the future. You can always switch back to direct deposit later once you feel more secure. Really hoping you get this sorted out quickly! The fact that you're being so proactive and thorough gives you the best chance of a good outcome. 🤞

This thread has been incredibly informative and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this, Ravi! As someone who's had identity theft issues before (not with DEO but similar situation), I wanted to add that you should also consider filing a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. This creates an official federal record of the fraud that can sometimes help speed up investigations with state agencies like DEO. Also, if you haven't already, make sure to change the password and security questions on your email account that's linked to CONNECT - often hackers get into email first to see payment notifications and then know exactly when to strike with banking changes. One more thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all your contacts, case numbers, reference numbers, and follow-up dates. It sounds like overkill but when you're dealing with multiple agencies (DEO, bank, police, etc.) it becomes a lifesaver to have everything organized in one place. You're doing everything right by being proactive and thorough. The $1,100 will come back - it's just going to take persistence and patience. Keep us updated on your progress!

This is absolutely infuriating and I'm so sorry you're going through this! The advice in this thread is incredible - I've saved several of these tips for my own reference. One thing I'd add that helped when my mom dealt with a similar situation: if you're getting nowhere with the regular DEO channels, try contacting your state senator or representative's office directly. Most have dedicated staff who handle constituent issues with state agencies, and they often have direct phone numbers that bypass the regular customer service queues. Also, when you do get through to someone at DEO, ask them to email you a summary of your conversation and case details. Having written confirmation of what was discussed and what steps they're taking can be really helpful if you need to escalate later. The fact that you've documented everything so thoroughly and are being so proactive gives me confidence you'll get this resolved. That $1,100 is YOUR money and you deserve to get it back. Stay strong and keep advocating for yourself! 💪