Got a strange email from NY unemployment - is this fraud or legit?

DO NOT CLICK THOSE LINKS!!! This is 100% a scam. The real DOL never sends emails asking you to verify stuff like that with clickable links. Someone is trying to steal your identity. You should forward the email to the fraud department. DOL has a specific email address for reporting unemployment fraud.

After struggling with this exact same issue, I finally got through to a real person at unemployment who confirmed it was fraud. I was on hold for ages until I found claimyr.com which connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes! Totally worth it - they helped me flag my account for fraud protection and explained exactly what to do next. Check out this video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

yep its a scam. I got the same trash email like 3 weeks ago. DOL is having a huge problem with identity theft lately. You should report it to both DOL and also the FTC at identitytheft.gov cuz that means someone probably has enough of ur personal info to try filing a claim in ur name.

I dealt with something exactly like this last month. It's identity theft. Someone tried to apply for benefits using my information. You need to contact the DOL ASAP and tell them you've been targeted for fraud. They will put a hold on any claims with your SSN. Also check your credit reports NOW. I had to freeze mine and file a police report. It's a huge headache to fix, so don't delay.

Ok so here's what u need to know about this scam (I work in IT security). These phishing emails are getting super sophisticated. They clone the real DOL emails almost perfectly. The way to check: hover over any links (don't click!) and look at the actual URL. Legit DOL emails will ALWAYS have links that go to ny.gov domains. Anything else is fake. Also the real DOL will never ask you to provide your full SSN, bank info, or passwords via email or links.

I've been dealing with the NY unemployment system for what feels like FOREVER and the biggest thing I've learned - they almost never initiate contact via email for important account issues. They usually send official mail to your address on file, and if they do email, they just tell you to log into your account directly (never through links in the email). Forward that to fraud@labor.ny.gov and then delete it.

Here's a comprehensive guide based on my experience dealing with unemployment fraud earlier this year: 1) DO NOT click any links in the email - it's 100% a phishing attempt 2) Report the fraud immediately: - Forward the email to fraud@labor.ny.gov - Report it at identitytheft.gov (FTC's site) - File a police report with your local precinct (some credit agencies require this) 3) Protect your identity: - Place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) - Consider a credit freeze (stronger than a fraud alert) - Check your credit reports for any unauthorized activity - Change passwords on important accounts 4) Contact NYS DOL directly: - Call their fraud hotline at 888-598-2077 (be prepared to wait or try early morning) - OR use claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent without the wait - Document everything - keep a log of all calls, emails and communications 5) Monitor everything going forward: - Check your mail for any unexpected unemployment documents - Watch your bank accounts for suspicious activity - Keep monitoring your credit reports I had to deal with this last February and it was a nightmare until I got through to an actual person. Trust me - being proactive now will save you months of headaches later.

Just as an FYI the DOL is completely overwhelmed with fraud cases right now. My cousin works there and says they're getting thousands of these reports daily. That's why it's so hard to get anyone on the phone. Identity theft for unemployment benefits is at an all-time high in NY.

If you want a quick way to tell if it's fraud - The real DOL never asks for your full SSN via email, never sends attachments you need to download (huge red flag), and never threatens immediate suspension of benefits if you don't respond within 24hrs (common scammer tactic).

Anyone else noticed how these scams seem to target people who filed for unemployment during covid? I swear they must have gotten a data breach or something because everyone I know who got benefits in 2020-2021 has been getting these phishing attempts.

i just went through this EXACT situation two weeks ago! someone tried to file using my info, but I caught it because I got that weird email. I tried calling unemployment for THREE DAYS with no luck. Finally found this service called claimyr that got me connected to a real person who fixed everything. Saved me hours of hold time and frustration. claimyr.com was seriously a lifesaver.

Ok so this actually happened to my roommate last month. VERY IMPORTANT: if someone filed a fraudulent claim using your identity, you need to worry about your TAX RETURNS too! The scammer might try to file taxes in your name next. Call the IRS at 800-908-4490 to put a note on your account that you've been a victim of identity theft. Also get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS for next tax season.

The irony of NY unemployment is astounding. Can't get through to a human when you ACTUALLY need benefits, but somehow scammers are filing claims left and right with stolen identities. State government at its finest folks 🤦‍♂️

Some tips from someone who works in identity protection: If you're ever unsure about an email claiming to be from a government agency, DON'T click links. Instead, manually type the official website address in your browser and log in that way. For NY unemployment, that's labor.ny.gov. From there you can check if there are any legitimate notices on your account.

Am I the only one who thinks its insane that in 2023 the NY unemployment system is still this vulnerable to fraud? Like how hard would it be to implement proper identity verification? The system is stuck in 1995 I swear.

Don't forget once you report the fraud to DOL, they're gonna send you a form to fill out! It's called an Affidavit of Fraud. Make sure you fill it out completely and return it RIGHT AWAY. If you don't return this form, they might not fully investigate or protect your account. My sister ignored this step and it caused her huge problems later.

My husband's identity was used for fraudulent unemployment claims last year. Here's what we learned: you need to contact both NYS DOL *and* your employer. Sometimes the first notification actually goes to your current/former employer, who might get a notice asking them to verify employment details. If your employer confirms without checking with you first, it makes resolving the fraud even harder.

i dont get why these scammers even bother with unemployment fraud. dont they know benefits are a nightmare to get even when you legit qualify? 🤣

Been getting similar scam emails for months now! The dead giveaway for me is always the urgency - they make it sound like your account will be closed in 24 hours if you don't act immediately. Real government agencies don't operate like that. Also pro tip: if you're ever unsure, call the DOL directly using the number from their official website (not any number in the email). Yeah you'll be on hold forever, but at least you'll know for sure if there's actually an issue with your account. Stay safe out there!

This is definitely a scam - I work in cybersecurity and we've been tracking a huge surge in these fake unemployment emails targeting NY residents. The scammers are getting incredibly sophisticated with their phishing attempts, using official logos and language that almost perfectly mimics real DOL communications. A few red flags to always watch for: 1) Real DOL emails never ask you to verify identity through email links, 2) They don't reference specific employment dates from years ago out of nowhere, and 3) Legitimate correspondence usually comes through your online account portal first. Since you never filed in 2023, this is 100% someone trying to use your identity to file fraudulent claims. Definitely report this to fraud@labor.ny.gov and also file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Also recommend putting a fraud alert on your credit reports ASAP just as a precaution. The fact that they have enough of your personal info to reference specific dates means they might try other types of identity theft too.

Same thing happened to my brother last month! He got one of these fake DOL emails asking about employment from 2022 when he never filed that year. The email looked super legitimate with all the official branding, but when he called the fraud hotline directly, they confirmed it was a scam. What's scary is that someone obviously has enough of his personal info to make it seem believable. He ended up having to freeze his credit and file a police report because they found out someone had actually tried to file a fraudulent claim using his SSN. Definitely don't click anything in that email - forward it to fraud@labor.ny.gov and report it to the FTC like others have mentioned. Better to be overly cautious with this stuff!

I went through this exact same nightmare about 6 months ago! Got a very official-looking email from "NYS DOL" asking me to verify employment details from 2022, complete with all the right logos and formatting. Almost fell for it until I noticed the sender's actual email address was something like "nys-benefits-verification@outlook.com" instead of an official ny.gov domain. Turns out someone had already filed a fraudulent claim using my SSN and this was their attempt to get even more personal info from me. Here's what I learned from the whole ordeal: 1) Never click links in these emails - always go directly to labor.ny.gov and log into your account there, 2) The real DOL fraud hotline is a nightmare to get through but keep trying early in the morning around 8am, and 3) Definitely file that police report even if it feels pointless - you'll need it for credit disputes later. The whole thing took about 3 months to fully resolve but my account is locked down tight now. Stay vigilant everyone - these scams are getting ridiculously sophisticated!

Had the EXACT same thing happen to me about a month ago! Got an official-looking email asking about employment verification from early 2023, but I was actually employed full-time then and never filed for unemployment. The email had all the right logos and everything - super convincing. I almost clicked the link but something felt off about the timing. Turns out my gut was right - when I manually went to labor.ny.gov and logged into my account, there was nothing there about any verification needed. Definitely forward that email to fraud@labor.ny.gov and don't click anything! These scammers are getting scary good at copying the real DOL emails. Also check your credit reports just in case - I found out someone had tried using my info for other stuff too. Stay safe!

This is such an important thread - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences! I've been dealing with something similar and it's honestly scary how sophisticated these scams are getting. What really helped me was creating a simple checklist after reading through all these responses: 1) Never click links in emails claiming to be from government agencies, 2) Always manually type official websites (like labor.ny.gov) into your browser, 3) Check the actual sender email address, not just the display name, 4) Remember that real DOL communications usually come through your online account portal first, and 5) When in doubt, call the official number from their website (even if the hold times are brutal). I also set up credit monitoring after reading about how these unemployment scams often lead to other types of identity theft. It's a small monthly fee but worth the peace of mind. Stay vigilant everyone - these criminals are unfortunately getting better at what they do, but at least we can help each other spot the red flags!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I work in banking and we've been seeing a massive uptick in unemployment-related identity theft cases over the past year. A few additional tips from what I've observed: 1) If scammers have filed a fraudulent claim in your name, you might start receiving unexpected 1099-G tax forms in January showing unemployment income you never received - definitely contest these with the IRS immediately, 2) Sometimes the first sign isn't even an email but rather your employer getting contacted by DOL to verify your employment status, so give your HR department a heads up about potential fraud, and 3) Consider setting up a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to monitor for any suspicious activity there too, since unemployment fraud often goes hand-in-hand with Social Security fraud. The good news is that once you report it and get through to the right people, NYS DOL has gotten much better at flagging and preventing further fraudulent activity on your SSN. Just be persistent with those phone calls and document everything!