DEO flagged my account for fraud at 62 - can't claim weeks for 3+ weeks

The exact same thing happened to me in January! I got a message saying there was 'potential identity fraud' on my CONNECT account and everything froze. I couldn't claim weeks for almost a month. What finally worked was going to my local CareerSource center in person with my ID, social security card, and a utility bill. They have a direct line to DEO and helped me get the fraud flag removed. Took about 2 hours of waiting but they fixed it that day.

The fraud flag could be happening for a few different reasons. Most common is that someone tried to file using your info, or there was a data mismatch between your application and your identity verification. When this happened to me last year, I found that calling right at 7:29am (they open at 7:30am) greatly increased my chances of getting through. Also, make sure you're calling from the same phone number listed on your CONNECT account - they have caller ID matching. If your account was truly flagged for fraud, you'll need to complete the ID.me verification process again, even if you already did it once.

OMG i was going thru the exact same stress!!! my account got flagged in Feb after i claimed 3 weeks with no issues. DEO phone line is IMPOSSIBLE!!! i wasted DAYS trying to get thru just to get hung up on. what finally worked was Claimyr service - its like $20 but they got me connected to a real person at DEO in 35 mins. lady removed the fraud hold right away & explained someone tried using my SSN in another state. u can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj and their site is claimyr.com. worth it to finally talk to a human!!

if u got flagged for fraud u need to upload ur id docs thru CONNECT account. click on inbox n see if theres a message requesting documents. usually they need drivers license, ssn card, and birth certificate. if u dont respond to that they keep account locked. fraud dept is backed up like crazy right now so even if u call u might not get thru

I work at a nonprofit that assists seniors with benefits issues. The DEO fraud flags have been a major problem lately. Here's what you need to know: 1) The fraud department works separately from regular DEO staff, so calling the main number often doesn't help 2) You should immediately email IdentityTheft@deo.myflorida.com with the subject line "FRAUD FLAG REMOVAL REQUEST" and include your claimant ID, full name, last 4 of SSN, and date of birth 3) Complete a new ID.me verification at https://hosted-pages.id.me/myflorida-deo-identity-proofing 4) After taking these steps, if you don't hear back within 5 business days, that's when visiting a CareerSource center becomes necessary Most importantly, document everything. The system will backdate your claims once the fraud flag is removed, so you won't lose benefits you're entitled to.

lol welcome to floridas amazing unemployment system... been like this since 2020. they dont care about us regular folks. system is designed to be frustrating so people give up. my cousin had same fraud thing happen and ended up having to contact his state representative's office to get it fixed. took like 2 more weeks but they finally fixed it

Did you try checking your spam folder for emails from DEO? Sometimes their verification request emails go straight to spam and if you miss them, your account gets flagged automatically after 7 days. Also make sure your CONNECT profile has your current phone number - they sometimes try to text verification codes.

I tried that Claimyr service the other person mentioned when my benefits got stuck in adjudication. It actually did work - got me through to someone at DEO when I'd been trying for weeks. The DEO rep told me they're getting hammered with fraudulent claims right now because of some data breach (not DEO's fault). They're extra cautious with new claims from people who haven't claimed before, especially if you're over 55 since scammers often target seniors' identities.

After you get this resolved, make sure you set up Multi-Factor Authentication on your CONNECT account if you haven't already. It's under "Account Security" in your profile settings. This helps prevent future fraud flags. Also, once your account is unlocked, you'll need to claim all those missed weeks immediately - there's only a 14-day window to claim past weeks once they become available again.