Got a missed call from 888-581-5812 - is this really NY unemployment or a scam?

That is actually a legitimate NYSDOL number! It's one of their outbound numbers they use when they need to contact claimants about issues with their claims. If your claim has been pending for 3 weeks, they're probably trying to verify some information or ask additional questions. I'd recommend calling them back at their main claims number (not necessarily that exact number) as soon as possible. You don't want to delay your claim any further.

had the same thing happen 2 me last week!!! they called 2 more times and i finally picked up. they needed 2 verify my employment history cuz something didnt match up. took like 5 mins and then my payment went thru 2 days later!!

Be careful! While 888-581-5812 is a legitimate NYSDOL number, scammers can spoof phone numbers to make it look like they're calling from official sources. If they call again, make sure they don't ask for your full social security number, banking details, or passwords. A legitimate NYSDOL representative will only ask for partial information to verify your identity, like the last 4 digits of your SSN or your date of birth, not complete sensitive information. If you want to be extra cautious, you can hang up and call the official unemployment number yourself to verify if they're trying to reach you.

THIS IS DEF THE REAL NUMBER!!! I got a call from them last month when my claim was pending. MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER! They only try 3 times before they stop calling and then your claim can get delayed for WEEKS more. This happened to my cousin and he had to start the whole process over again. DON'T MISS THE NEXT CALL!!!!!

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for months now and getting through to them is absolutely miserable. After my claim was pending for weeks, I started using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent without waiting on hold forever. They have this clever system that calls NYSDOL and then calls you when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE When NYSDOL called me from that 888 number, it was because there was an issue with my employment dates that needed verification. Got it sorted in one call once I actually talked to someone.

I got a call from that exact number two days ago. I answered and it was indeed NYSDOL. They needed additional information about my last employer before they could approve my claim. I was suspicious at first too, but the agent was able to reference specific details from my application that a scammer wouldn't know. One tip: When I called back the main number (because I had another question later), I mentioned I had received a call from them, and they were able to put a note in my file that I had responded. This seemed to help move things along.

anyone else notice they ALWAYS call at the worst times?? like when ur in the bathroom or just stepped out to grab lunch lol

To clarify for everyone: 888-581-5812 is indeed a legitimate NYSDOL number used for outbound calls. Here's what you need to know: 1. If they call, they're likely trying to resolve an issue with your claim that's causing the pending status 2. They typically make 2-3 attempts to reach you by phone 3. If they can't reach you by phone, they'll send a secure message to your online account and/or a letter 4. You do have a limited time to respond (usually 7-10 days from their final attempt) 5. Missing their calls won't automatically deny your claim, but it will extend the processing time If you missed their call, I recommend: - Calling the main claims number (888-209-8124) during regular business hours - When connected, explain you missed a call from their office and want to address any issues with your claim - Be prepared with your claim information and employment history details - Check your online account for any secure messages they may have sent This should help you get your claim moving again.

I can add my experience here - I got multiple calls from 888-581-5812 over the past few months while my claim was being processed. It's definitely legitimate NYSDOL! In my case, they were calling because they needed to verify some employment dates that didn't match up with what my previous employer reported to them. The calls usually came between 1-4 PM on weekdays. When I finally answered, the representative was very professional and had access to all my claim details. They asked me to provide some documentation via their secure upload portal, and my claim was approved within a week after I submitted everything. One thing I learned: if you keep missing their calls, you can also try calling the main number and asking to speak with the "adjudication department" - that's the team that handles these verification calls. They can sometimes address the issue right then instead of having to wait for another outbound call. Don't stress too much about missing one call - they really do try multiple times and will send you written notice if they can't reach you by phone. But definitely be proactive about calling them back since you've been pending for 3 weeks already.

Just wanted to add my recent experience with this number - I got a call from 888-581-5812 last week and was initially skeptical too. Turns out they were calling because there was a discrepancy in my work history that was holding up my claim. The agent was able to verify specific details from my application that proved it was legit. What really helped me was when they called, I asked for their name and employee ID number, then told them I'd call back through the main NYSDOL line to verify. The legitimate agent was totally fine with this and even encouraged it! When I called back, they were able to transfer me directly to the same person. Since your claim has been pending for 3 weeks, there's definitely something they need to clarify with you. I'd recommend calling the main number tomorrow morning and mentioning you received a call from their outbound department. They should be able to see the note in your file and connect you with the right person to resolve whatever's holding up your claim. Good luck - I know how stressful the waiting is!

I've been in a similar situation and can confirm that 888-581-5812 is a legitimate NYSDOL number! I was super paranoid about scams too, but when they called me it was because they needed to verify some employment information that was preventing my claim from processing. Here's what I'd suggest: Call the main NYSDOL number (888-209-8124) tomorrow morning and tell them you missed a call from their outbound department. They can look up your case and tell you exactly what they need from you. This way you're being proactive instead of waiting around for another call. Also, when dealing with any unemployment-related calls, a good rule of thumb is that legitimate NYSDOL reps will never ask for your full SSN or banking passwords over the phone - they'll only ask for partial info to verify your identity. If anyone asks for complete sensitive info, that's a red flag. Don't panic about missing one call - they typically try multiple times and will send written notice if they can't reach you. But since you've been pending for 3 weeks, there's definitely something they need to resolve with you, so being proactive will help get things moving faster. Good luck!

I had the exact same thing happen to me about a month ago! Got a missed call from 888-581-5812 and was totally paranoid it was a scam. Turns out it was completely legitimate - they were calling because there was an issue with my wage verification that was holding up my claim. What really convinced me it was real was when I called the main NYSDOL number back and they could see in their system that someone from their verification department had tried to reach me. The agent I spoke with was able to resolve the issue right over the phone and my payment came through 4 days later. Since you've been pending for 3 weeks, I'd definitely recommend calling them first thing tomorrow morning rather than waiting for them to call back. Ask to speak with someone about claim verification issues - they'll be able to see what's holding things up and hopefully get it sorted quickly. The waiting is the worst part, but at least now you know they're actively working on your case!

I can definitely understand your paranoia about scammers - there are so many unemployment-related scams going around! But I can confirm that 888-581-5812 is indeed a legitimate NYSDOL outbound number. I got calls from this exact number twice last month when my claim was stuck in pending status. The first time they called, I was too suspicious to answer and let it go to voicemail (they didn't leave one, which made me even more paranoid like you). But when they called again two days later, I decided to answer and I'm so glad I did! They just needed to verify my employment start date with my previous employer because there was a small discrepancy. Since your claim has been pending for 3 weeks, there's almost certainly something they need to clarify or verify with you. My advice would be to call the main claims line (888-209-8124) tomorrow morning and tell them you missed a call from their verification department. They should be able to see the note in your file and either transfer you to the right person or tell you exactly what information they need. Don't stress too much about missing the call - they typically try several times and will send you a message through your online account if they can't reach you by phone. But being proactive and calling them yourself will definitely help speed things up. Good luck!

I've been helping people with NYSDOL issues for a while now, and I can absolutely confirm that 888-581-5812 is a legitimate outbound number they use for claim verification calls. The fact that you've been pending for 3 weeks strongly suggests they need to clarify something with you - probably employment history, wage verification, or identity confirmation. Here's what I'd recommend: Don't wait for them to call back. Call the main NYSDOL line (888-209-8124) first thing tomorrow morning and tell them you missed a call from their verification department. Ask them to check your file for any pending issues or requirements. This proactive approach often gets faster results than waiting. When you do speak with someone (whether they call you or you call them), they should only ask for partial verification info like last 4 digits of SSN or birth date - never full sensitive details. That's how you can confirm it's legitimate. The good news is that if they're calling, it means your claim is actively being processed, not just sitting in a queue somewhere. Most verification issues get resolved quickly once you provide the needed information. Hang in there!

I just went through this exact same situation last week! Got a missed call from 888-581-5812 and was super paranoid it was a scam since they didn't leave a voicemail. After reading all these responses, I called the main NYSDOL number the next morning and they confirmed someone from their verification team had tried to reach me. Turns out they needed to verify my last day of work because my employer had reported a different date than what I put on my application. The whole call took maybe 10 minutes once I got through to the right department. My claim was approved 3 days later after being stuck in pending for almost a month. Since you've been waiting 3 weeks already, I'd definitely recommend calling them tomorrow morning instead of waiting for another call. When I called, I just said "I missed a call from your verification department yesterday and want to make sure there are no issues with my claim." They were able to pull up my file immediately and connect me with someone who could help. The waiting is so stressful, but at least now you know they're actively working on your case! That's actually a good sign even though it doesn't feel like it right now.

Just wanted to add another confirmation that 888-581-5812 is definitely legitimate! I got a call from this exact number about 6 weeks ago when my claim was stuck. I was super skeptical at first too, especially since they didn't leave a voicemail, but it turned out they needed to verify some information about my previous employer. What really helped me feel confident it was real was that when I answered their second call, the representative knew specific details from my application that a scammer wouldn't have access to - like my exact filing date and the employer names I had listed. Since you've been pending for 3 weeks, there's definitely something they need from you. I'd strongly recommend calling the main line (888-209-8124) tomorrow morning and mentioning you missed a call from their verification team. When I did this in a similar situation, they were able to see the notes in my file immediately and got me connected to the right department. Don't worry too much about missing one call - they really do try multiple times. But being proactive will definitely help speed things up. The whole verification process for me took less than 15 minutes once I actually talked to someone, and my payment came through within a week. Hang in there!

I've been dealing with NY unemployment for a few months now and can confirm that 888-581-5812 is absolutely a legitimate NYSDOL outbound number! I got several calls from this exact number when my claim was pending, and each time it was because they needed to verify something specific about my employment history or eligibility. The fact that they didn't leave a voicemail is actually pretty typical for them - I noticed they rarely leave messages, which definitely adds to the confusion about whether it's legitimate or not. But given that your claim has been pending for 3 weeks, this is almost certainly them trying to resolve whatever issue is holding up your claim. My advice: call the main claims line (888-209-8124) first thing tomorrow morning and tell them you missed a call from their verification department. They'll be able to see in your file what they were trying to reach you about and either handle it right then or schedule a callback. Don't wait for them to call again - being proactive will definitely speed up your claim processing. When they do contact you (either by calling back or when you call them), they should only ask for partial information to verify your identity - things like last 4 digits of SSN or your birth date. They won't ask for full banking details or passwords. That's how you know it's legitimate. The waiting is incredibly stressful, but this is actually good news - it means your claim is actively being worked on, not just sitting in limbo!