FRAUD ALERT: Son received DEO unemployment check but never filed - what to do?
I need urgent help with what looks like unemployment identity theft! My son just received a $275 check from Florida DEO yesterday along with paperwork showing his 'job history' and stating this is his weekly benefit amount. Here's the problem - he is CURRENTLY EMPLOYED and never filed for unemployment benefits! Someone has clearly filed a fraudulent claim using his information. How do we report this and make sure his work record isn't affected? Has anyone dealt with this type of unemployment fraud before? I'm worried about tax implications and his current job finding out about this false claim. Do we need to contact his employer too? This is so stressful!
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Theodore Nelson
This is definitely identity fraud and you need to report it to DEO immediately. Call the Reemployment Assistance Fraud Hotline at 1-800-342-9909 and also email them at ReemploymentAssistance@deo.myflorida.com with subject line "FRAUD ALERT - Claim Not Filed By Me". They will flag the account and start an investigation. Your son should NOT cash that check under any circumstances! Also, get a copy of his credit report right away and consider putting a freeze on his credit. This happened to my brother last year and it took some time to resolve, but DEO was actually pretty helpful once we got through to them.
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Carmella Fromis
•Thank you for the quick response! I'll call that fraud hotline first thing tomorrow morning. Should we also return the check to DEO or just hold onto it as evidence? And do you know if my son's current employer will be notified about this? I'm worried they might think he's trying to collect unemployment while working.
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AaliyahAli
omg that happened to my roommate last winter!!! some1 stole her identity and filed for benefits. she ended up getting a letter from the IRS about it cuz they counted it as income at first. make sure ur son keeps ALL that paperwork cuz he'll need to prove he never asked for the $$$
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Carmella Fromis
•That's exactly what I'm worried about with taxes! Did your roommate have any issues with her employer? I'm wondering if my son should tell his boss about this before they get some kind of notice from DEO.
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Ellie Simpson
This is unfortunately becoming more common in Florida. Here's exactly what you need to do: 1. Contact DEO Fraud department at 1-800-342-9909 2. File a police report - this is CRITICAL for protecting your son's identity 3. Notify the three credit bureaus and place a fraud alert 4. Have your son inform his HR department proactively (they'll appreciate the heads-up) 5. Return the check to: Florida DEO, PO Box 5350, Tallahassee, FL 32314 with a cover letter explaining the situation Also, your son should set up an account on ID.me (which DEO uses for verification) if he doesn't already have one. This will prevent further fraud using his identity with the DEO system.
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Arjun Kurti
•Just want to add - make copies of EVERYTHING before sending anything back! And write "FRAUDULENT CLAIM - NOT FILED BY ME" on all copies. When my cousin had this happen, the DEO rep said documentation is super important.
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Raúl Mora
I HAD THIS EXACT THING HAPPEN TO ME!!! DEO's system is so broken that someone was able to steal my identity and claim benefits while I was working full-time. I tried calling DEO for WEEKS and couldn't get anyone to help me. Busy signals, disconnects, and automatic hang-ups EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Meanwhile my employer got notified and it was SO embarrassing trying to explain I didn't file!!! I almost lost my job because of it!!!
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Margot Quinn
•I had a similar frustrating experience when someone filed using my info. I finally got through to a DEO agent using Claimyr.com - it actually worked after weeks of trying on my own. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. They connected me with a DEO agent who put an immediate fraud alert on my account and stopped additional payments. Saved me a ton of headache with having to explain to the IRS later why I didn't report the income!
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Evelyn Kim
wait so if someone files using your info does that mean they get the money sent to their bank account or do they somehow get your check? im confused how the scammer benefits if the check goes to you?
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Ellie Simpson
•The fraudsters typically change the payment method in the system. What likely happened is that the initial check was mailed to the address on file (OP's son's address), but the scammer probably already changed future payments to direct deposit to their account. They're counting on the victim not reporting it immediately, giving them time to collect several weeks of benefits before the fraud is detected. That's why reporting it immediately is so important.
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Carmella Fromis
Update: I tried calling the fraud hotline this morning but couldn't get through after trying for an hour (kept getting busy signals). I did email them with FRAUD ALERT in the subject line with all the details. I'm going with my son to file a police report this afternoon. Should I also try calling the regular DEO number or is there a better direct line to report this kind of fraud?
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Margot Quinn
•The regular DEO lines are even worse than the fraud hotline. When I went through this, I used Claimyr to get through to an actual agent after days of trying. It's worth it for something this serious. My identity theft case was escalated to a supervisor the same day once I finally got through.
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Ellie Simpson
One other important step - have your son create an account on the CONNECT system immediately using his own information. This will help him monitor the fraudulent claim and potentially block the scammer from making changes. When he logs in, he should be able to see the claim details which might give clues about how the fraud happened (like which previous employer is listed). Also, make sure he files IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) to prevent tax issues down the road.
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Carmella Fromis
•That's great advice about creating his own CONNECT account! We hadn't thought of that. We'll do that tonight and check what information is showing. I'm also going to have him pull his credit reports from all three bureaus to see if there's any other suspicious activity we need to address. The police officer we spoke with today said unemployment fraud is often part of larger identity theft.
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AaliyahAli
hey just wondering did u end up getting this fixed? my bro just got the same thing happening to him last week and we dunno what to do
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Carmella Fromis
•We're still working through it. The most helpful thing was finally getting through to a senior DEO agent who flagged the account for fraud investigation. My son's employer has been notified about the situation and they were understanding. We've submitted all the paperwork and are waiting for the case to be resolved. Make sure your brother files a police report right away - that seemed to make DEO take the case more seriously.
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