As a new member here, I just want to say thank you to everyone for sharing these important warnings! I started my unemployment claim just two weeks ago and have already received 3 scam texts. The most recent one really caught my attention because it said "Your NY unemployment direct deposit has failed - click here to update banking information" and came right after I had some legitimate banking issues. Reading through all these experiences has taught me so much about what to watch for. I had no idea scammers were using real claim numbers or timing their attacks around certification deadlines - that's terrifying but good to know! One thing I want to add for other newcomers: I created a simple document on my phone where I log every suspicious text/email I receive with screenshots and timestamps. It makes reporting them much easier, and I've already sent 5 reports to the NY Attorney General's office using the info Andre shared earlier. It's really disheartening that people are targeting us when we're already dealing with job loss and financial stress, but this community is doing such important work protecting each other. I feel much more confident now about spotting these scams thanks to all of your shared experiences!

Just wanted to jump in as another newcomer to share what happened to me yesterday. I've been on unemployment for about 3 weeks now and got a call from someone claiming to be from the "NY Unemployment Fraud Prevention Unit" saying there were "suspicious activities" on my account and I needed to verify my identity immediately or they'd freeze my benefits. The caller had my full name and claim number, which really threw me off! They asked for my PIN and said they'd send me a "verification code" to confirm I was the real account holder. Something felt wrong so I said I'd call them back, and they got really pushy saying it was "urgent" and had to be done right now. I hung up and called the official NYSDOL number instead. The real representative told me this is a very common scam and that there's no such thing as a "NY Unemployment Fraud Prevention Unit" that calls people directly. She said legitimate fraud investigations are handled through secure messages in your NY.gov account, never over the phone. For other newcomers - trust your gut! If something feels off, hang up and call the official number yourself. These scammers are using fear tactics about account freezing or benefit suspension to make us panic and give up our information. Don't let them pressure you into making quick decisions!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago. Got fired for attendance issues at my warehouse job - mostly late arrivals due to childcare problems. I was honest on my unemployment application about being terminated for attendance but explained the circumstances. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim after about 2 weeks of review. The key is documenting any legitimate reasons for your absences and being upfront about everything. Don't let them catch you being dishonest because that will definitely hurt your case. File as soon as you can after termination and be prepared to provide any documentation that supports your side of the story.

Transportation issues can definitely be considered legitimate circumstances by NYS Department of Labor, especially if you can show you made efforts to address the problem. I'd recommend documenting everything you can - any emails or texts to your supervisor about the bus route changes, maybe a screenshot of the transit authority's route change announcement if available, or even a letter from the bus company confirming the service disruption. When you file your claim, be specific about how the transportation issue was beyond your control and what steps you took to try to resolve it. The fact that you tried to communicate with your supervisor shows good faith effort on your part.

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! This community is amazing. I feel much more confident about handling my fluctuating schedule now. I'll certify as normal for the weeks I work under 30 hours and just skip certification for weeks I work more. Fingers crossed the system works smoothly!

I'm in a similar boat with my part-time teaching assistant position - some weeks I get called in for extra hours, other weeks barely anything. One thing I've learned is to always screenshot your online certification confirmation after you submit it each week. I had a situation where the system glitched and showed I hadn't certified for a week when I actually had, and having that screenshot saved me a lot of headache when I had to prove it later. Also, if you're ever unsure about whether you should claim for a particular week, err on the side of reporting it - it's much easier to explain why you claimed when you maybe shouldn't have than to try to get benefits reinstated for a week you didn't claim but were eligible for.

This is really helpful information! I had no idea the rates could vary so much based on experience rating. One thing I'm still wondering about - does the size of the company affect these rates at all? Like would a small business with 5 employees pay the same percentage as a large corporation, assuming they have similar layoff histories? Also, is there any way for employees to actually see what rate their employer is paying, or is that confidential business information?

One thing that might help clarify this for everyone - the NYS DOL actually publishes an annual rate schedule that breaks down how the experience rating system works. New employers start at that 3.4% rate mentioned earlier, but after they've been in business for a few years and have enough data, their rate gets recalculated based on their "reserve ratio" - basically comparing how much they've paid in versus how much their former employees have claimed. Companies with positive reserve ratios (paid in more than was claimed) get lower rates, while those with negative ratios pay higher rates. It's actually a pretty fair system when you think about it, since it makes the costs directly tied to actual usage.

Same issue here! What worked for me after 3 days of frustration: 1) Use Firefox instead of Chrome (weird but it worked) 2) Disable any VPN if you're using one 3) Make sure your browser allows pop-ups from the NY DOL site 4) Try logging in during off-peak hours like 2-4pm. The Okta servers seem less overloaded then. If none of that works, you might need to call and have them reset your verification on their end. I know the phones are impossible but keep trying - early morning around 8:15am seems to be the sweet spot when you might actually get through.

Ugh I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare right now! Been locked out for almost a week. The Okta verification just keeps failing no matter what I try. I've called that 800 number probably 50 times and either get a busy signal or that annoying "call volume too high" message. It's like they don't want people to actually get their benefits. Has anyone found any other workarounds besides the browser tricks? This is seriously affecting my ability to certify for my weekly benefits and I'm getting really stressed about it.