How to fix NY unemployment identity fraud from previous fake claim?

I went through the exact same BS back in July. Someone stole my identity and filed a fake claim in February. I couldnt file when I actually lost my job. Took me WEEKS of calling and getting nowhere. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected with a real human at unemployment. Best decision ever - the agent I spoke with flagged my account, helped me verify my identity, and got a new claim started for me. Got my first payment like 10 days later. Without talking to an actual agent I would've been stuck in that loop forever. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Yep this happened to me!!! Took FOREVER to fix. The key is you HAVE to get a real person on the phone. Keep calling the fraud line (not the regular UI line). Try calling right when they open at 8am. Also fill out the ID theft form on the website - it's under 'report fraud' somewhere. Print that confirmation and save it. Once you get thru to someone they'll have to verify her identity with documents and put a security flag on her account.

The entire ny unemployment system is a complete joke. When someone stole my identity I legit couldnt get benefits for FIVE MONTHS. Had to move back in with my parents at 37 years old. The system is designed to be frustrating so people just give up.

Have her file a police report ASAP! She needs documentation of the identity theft. Then she should put a fraud alert on her credit reports with all three agencies. While that won't directly fix the unemployment issue, it helps establish a paper trail showing she's the victim. She should also report it to the FTC at identitytheft.gov. When she finally does reach someone at unemployment, having all this documentation ready will make things go much smoother.

I work in HR and see this ALL THE TIME. Tell your friend to contact her previous employer's HR department. Sometimes they can help verify employment directly with NYSDOL and get things moving faster. Also have her check if her employer has any employee assistance programs that might help navigate this - larger companies sometimes do.

Listen I had the EXACT same problem and I'm gonna save you a ton of time. Go to claimyr.com and pay them to get you through to a representative. I wasted 3 weeks trying everything else. The second I got a real person on the phone they fixed it in 20 minutes. They had to verify my identity and remove the fraudulent claim. I got my benefits backdated too. It was the only thing that worked.

The same thing just happened to my brother!!! He never filed for unemployment but someone used his SSN last year. Now that he's actually unemployed he's in this crazy loop of automated systems. He eventually had to go IN PERSON to a NY career center. Took a whole day but they actually helped him sort it out. Just make sure to bring multiple forms of ID (passport, license, SS card, birth certificate, etc).

🚨 IMPORTANT ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO FIXED THIS 🚨 I had this exact problem and here's what finally worked: 1) File an identity theft report with FTC at identitytheft.gov 2) Call the NYS fraud hotline (not main unemployment) at 888-598-2077 3) Get a credit freeze with all three credit bureaus 4) Fill out the online fraud report form on the NY DOL website 5) When none of those things get you anywhere (which they won't), use claimyr.com to actually get a human on the phone I spent WEEKS trying to fix this through "proper channels" but nothing worked until I got an actual agent on the phone. The agent had to manually verify my identity with their security team, remove the fraudulent claim, and start a new legitimate claim. The whole process took about 3 weeks but I finally got benefits (backdated to when I first tried to apply). The most frustrating part is the system is designed to prevent exactly this situation but it just creates an impossible loop. You can't verify your identity online because the fraudster already "verified" theirs using your info. So it becomes this catch-22 where you need to talk to a human but the automated system won't let you through. Save yourself the headache - just find a way to get a human on the phone. Whether that's calling 500 times, using claimyr.com, or going to an in-person career center. Once you get a person, the rest is fairly straightforward.

Tell her to contact her state representative's office!! Seriously. This is what they're there for. When I had a similar issue I was stuck for MONTHS until I contacted my assembly member's office. They have special contacts at unemployment and got my issue fixed in like 3 days.

The great state of new york everybody 👏 where the unemployment system is designed to be impossible to use. Keep trying to call at weird times like 8:01am exactly when they open or like 4:45pm right before close. sometimes you can sneak through.

Has she tried the online chat feature on the website? Sometimes you can get help faster that way than calling. It's hidden at the bottom of the site.

Unfortunately this is super common. I'm a tax preparer and like half my clients had fraudulent unemployment claims filed during covid. The state's systems were completely overwhelmed and scammers took advantage. Your friend needs to: 1. File a police report 2. Report to FTC 3. Contact credit bureaus 4. Keep detailed records of all attempts to contact unemployment 5. Submit all identity verification docs they ask for The most important thing is to actually speak to someone. In my experience, using a service like claimyr.com is the only reliable way to get through these days. The phone systems are deliberately designed to be frustrating.

unpopular opinion but the NYS unemployment office actually has decent people working there... the SYSTEM is trash but once you get a human on the phone they're usually pretty helpful. The problem is actually reaching them.

dude i had the EXACT problem!!! someone filed using my info in 2022 and i didnt even know till i tried to file this year. what worked for me was calling literally as soon as they opened at 8:00am. took 3 days of trying but i finally got through that way. once i got a human they fixed it pretty quick.

This identity theft stuff is no joke. Tell your friend to also check her credit reports immediately to see what else they might have accessed. When this happened to me they also opened credit cards in my name.

when this happened to me last year i tried calling for WEEKS with no luck. finally gave up and used claimyr.com which got me through to an agent in about an hour. cost me a few bucks but totally worth it to actually talk to a human who could fix my claim. once i had a real person they cleared the fraud flag, verified my identity, and got my real claim started. took about 2 weeks to get my first payment after that.

Your friend might also want to check if she got a 1099-G tax form last year for unemployment benefits she never received. If the fraud happened last year, the IRS might think she got income she never actually received. That can cause tax problems.

I'm currently dealing with this. I filed a police report, contacted the FTC, and put fraud alerts everywhere. I finally got through to unemployment by using claimyr.com - it was the ONLY way I could actually speak to a human. The agent had me upload my ID, SS card, and birth certificate through their secure message system. They're still 'investigating' but at least the process is started. I'll update when I hear back.

unemployment identity theft is literally an epidemic right now. millions of Americans had their info stolen during the pandemic and states are STILL dealing with the fallout. your friend is unfortunately just one of many many people dealing with this. the backlog is insane.