Getting fraud notices from NY unemployment for benefits I never collected in 2023

This exact thing happend to me last summer! Someone filed using my info in april and I didnt find out till they sent a letter to my parents house (my old address). It's definitely identity theft. You NEED to talk to a real person at unemployment. I know it's almost impossible to get thru on the phone lines, but I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent within an hour. Talking to an actual person was the only way I got it resolved - they flagged the fake claim and started a fraud case. It took about 3-4 weeks to get fully cleared up. Dont wait on this - the longer it goes on, the worse it can get for your credit and taxes.

Ok so you need to do several things immediately: 1) File a police report for identity theft 2) Contact all 3 credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on your credit 3) Document EVERYTHING - screenshot those emails, save them as PDFs 4) Go to identitytheft.gov and file a report there too 5) Keep trying to reach NY unemployment - I know its nearly impossible but you have to get through This happened to my cousin and it was a nightmare to fix. The unemployment office is completely overwhelmed with fraud cases right now. When you do finally reach someone, make sure you get their name and a reference number for your case. The most effective way I found to actually talk to someone at ny unemployment was using claimyr.com - it was the only way I could talk to a live agent after weeks of trying myself. They wait on hold for you and call when an agent picks up.

Ugh this happened to me too 😫 someone filed using my info in December and I only found out when I got a tax form in January for benefits I never received! It took me almost 2 months to get it fixed. Document EVERYTHING and be super persistant. The system is broken af

Your definitely a victim of identity theft and you need to act fast! First thing is call the fraud hotline at 888-598-2077 and keep trying until you get through. You might also want to check if your data was part of any recent breaches - go to haveibeenpwned.com to see if your email was compromised. This is happening to so many people with ny unemployment system its crazy.

I think theres a huge scam ring targeting NY unemployment right now. My neighbor, my coworker AND me all had this happen in the past 3 months. Its insane. NY unemployment security is a joke.

Hate to say it but your gonna be in for a long fight. I've been dealing with this exact issue since February. Here's what I've learned: - The regular unemployment phone lines wont help with fraud - You need to specifically talk to the fraud department - File a police report ASAP (most dont take this seriously but do it anyway) - Get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS for future tax filings - Check your credit reports immediately The thing that FINALLY worked for me was using claimyr.com to get through to an actual person in the fraud dept. After 5 weeks of trying on my own, they got me a callback within 45 mins. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly.

this same thing happened to my dad! he's not tech savvy at all and was freaking out. turned out someone filed using his old work info. we had to go to the local unemployment office IN PERSON to fix it. bring ID and all the emails they sent you - the in person option is way faster than calling if you have one nearby.

the 'Log in to verify' links in those emails are probably phishing attempts!!! DONT click them! go directly to the official unemployment website by typing the address yourself.

unfortunately your dealing with both identity theft AND the ny unemployment system which is like... double nightmare mode. i went through this last year and what finally worked was: 1) filed a police report 2) got an affidavit of identity theft (you can get this template online) 3) faxed (yes, FAXED in 2023 lmao) both documents to the fraud dept 4) used claimyr.com to get a live person on the phone who could confirm they received my fax 5) followed up every week until it was resolved i know it sounds ridiculous but the fax seemed to get their attention when nothing else did

Check if they used your actual bank account info or if they set up a new one. If they changed the bank account that's actually GOOD NEWS because it proves you didn't get the money. Make sure to point that out when you finally reach someone.

Pro tip: contact your state representative!!! seriously this is the secret weapon nobody talks about. Unemployment offices respond MUCH faster when a state rep's office inquires about your case. Google your district and send your rep an email explaining the situation.

Might be worth checking if you can create an account on ID.me if you haven't already. NY unemployment uses it for identity verification and it could help you secure your account. Not a fix for the current situation but might prevent future fraud.

The same thing happened to me and at first I thought the emails were fake/phishing attempts but they were real. Someone used my info to claim benefits while I was employed full time! And then I got a tax bill for benefits I never received! 😤

So many people dealing with this right now! My theory is that all our data that got leaked in various breaches over the years is finally coming back to haunt us. Unemployment fraud is apparently super profitable for scammers right now.

Y'all I'm an accountant and I see this ALL THE TIME with my clients. Here's what you need to know: 1) This is a MASSIVE problem right now with NY unemployment specifically 2) Document everything and act fast 3) You'll need to file IRS form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) 4) Get an IP PIN from the IRS for future tax filings 5) When/if you get a 1099-G form for benefits you didn't receive, you must dispute it 6) Consider freezing your credit with all bureaus The NY unemployment system is completely overwhelmed with these cases. Their phone system is designed to frustrate you into giving up. Keep detailed records of every attempt to contact them. The most reliable way to actually reach a human is through claimyr.com - it's a service that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold, then calls you when a real person answers. Several of my clients have successfully used it to resolve unemployment fraud issues.