Got an ID.me email requesting video verification with a "Trusted Referee" for unemployment, but it mentions IRS - scam or legitimate?

That's definitely a scam email! NY unemployment doesn't just randomly ask for ID.me verification after you've been collecting for months. The IRS mention is the dead giveaway - they have nothing to do with state unemployment. Delete it and don't click any links.

I was stuck in verification hell with ny unemployment last month. Nobody would answer calls and my benefits got frozen. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real agent on the phone. Best decision ever - talking to an agent got my benefits flowing again in days instead of weeks. They have a yt video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

That's 100% a phishing scam. Notice how it says "The Internal Revenue Service" twice with the weird capitalization? Scammers always make these little mistakes. Real government communications are professionally written. Also the weird link with all those random characters is super suspicious.

I've been on unemployment since February and got a similar email a few weeks ago. I ignored it and nothing happened to my benefits. They're still coming in like normal. If it was really important, they would contact you through your official unemployment portal or send a physical letter.

Here's how to verify if this is legitimate or not: 1. DO NOT click the link in the email 2. Go directly to ID.me's official website and log in to your account 3. Check if there are any pending verification requirements 4. Alternatively, log into your NY unemployment account and see if there are any alerts or messages 5. If nothing shows up in either place, it's a scam NY has indeed been doing random verification checks because of massive fraud during the pandemic. But they would notify you through official channels, not a random email with weird formatting. If you're still worried about your account status, I'd recommend getting through to a live agent. Regular phone lines are useless right now, but I had success using claimyr.com to get a callback from an actual human at unemployment who could verify everything was fine with my account. The safest approach is to always go through official websites by typing the URL yourself or using the phone numbers listed on the official NY unemployment website.

the fact that it mentions the IRS but you've been getting state unemployment is the red flag for me. those are completely seperate systems. I'd report it to both id.me and ny unemployment as a phishing attempt.

I actually went through legit ID.me verification when I first applied for unemployment. This doesn't look right. The trusted referee process is real but they don't email you like this out of the blue after you've been collecting for months. Be careful!

SCAM SCAM SCAM!!! 🚨 These people are trying to steal your identity!! I got one just like this and when I called unemployment they confirmed it wasn't from them. If you already have been getting benefits why would they suddenly need to verify your ID? Think about it...

I work in IT security and this is what we call a "spear phishing" attack - they know you're on unemployment and they're using that to target you specifically. The url is suspicious and the weird IRS references make no sense. Never click links in emails you weren't expecting.

something similar happened to me. turns out someone was trying to file for benefits using my information. You might wanna check if anyone has filed a claim using ur SSN. I had to wait on the phone for 3 HOURS to talk to someone about it 🤬

I'll go against the grain here and say CALL UNEMPLOYMENT directly to verify. Don't rely on reddit advice when your benefits are at stake. Use the official number from the NY unemployment website, not any number in that email.

Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov and reportfraud@labor.ny.gov - they track these scams. Meanwhile check your credit report to make sure no one took out accounts in your name.

Whyyyy is the unemployment system such a dumpster fire?? I swear its designed to be confusing on purpose so people give up on getting their benefits. 😤

if this is from a T-Mobile connection as it shows at the top, be aware there's been phishing scams specifically targeting T-Mobile users lately too.