How to protect yourself from unemployment fraud - NYS Department of Labor account security tips?
I've been hearing about people getting their unemployment benefits stolen through fraud and I'm really worried about my NYS Department of Labor account. I just started receiving UI benefits last month and want to make sure I'm doing everything right to protect myself. What steps should I take to secure my my.ny.gov account? Are there warning signs I should watch for? I've already changed my password but wondering if there's more I should do.
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Luca Russo
Good that you're being proactive! First, enable two-factor authentication on your my.ny.gov account if you haven't already. Check your account weekly for any unauthorized changes to your banking info or address. Never click links in emails claiming to be from NYS Department of Labor - always go directly to the official site. Also monitor your bank account for unexpected deposits or withdrawals.
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Zara Mirza
•Thanks! I didn't know about two-factor authentication. Where do I find that setting in my account?
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Nia Harris
Set up account alerts if possible and NEVER give your login info to anyone claiming they can help you file claims faster or get more money. These scammers are everywhere right now. I also recommend checking your credit report regularly since fraudsters sometimes use stolen unemployment info for other identity theft.
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GalaxyGazer
•This is so important. My neighbor almost fell for one of those scams where someone said they could expedite her adjudication for a fee.
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Mateo Sanchez
omg yes be careful!! my friend had someone file a fake claim using her info and she didn't know until she got a tax form for benefits she never received. now she's dealing with a huge mess trying to prove it wasn't her
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Zara Mirza
•That sounds awful! How did she find out it happened? I want to make sure I'd catch something like that early.
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Aisha Mahmood
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to report suspicious activity or verify account security settings, there's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. I used it when I needed to report some weird activity on my account and couldn't get through the normal phone lines.
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Ethan Moore
•Never heard of that before but might be worth checking out. The regular NYS Department of Labor phone system is impossible to get through to.
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Yuki Kobayashi
Also keep all your paperwork and take screenshots of your account regularly! If something does happen you'll need proof of what your account looked like before. The NYS Department of Labor fraud investigation process is really slow so having documentation helps speed things up.
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Yara Campbell
One more thing to add - sign up for ID monitoring through your credit card company or bank if they offer it free. Also, if you get any unexpected mail from NYS Department of Labor about claims you didn't file, report it immediately. I've seen cases where fraudsters test the system with small amounts first before going for bigger thefts. And definitely keep your personal info like SSN off social media - scammers piece together details from multiple sources.
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Yuki Ito
•Great advice about the ID monitoring! I didn't think about how fraudsters might start small to test things out. That's really scary. I'm definitely going to be more careful about what I share online now. Do you know if there's a specific way to report suspicious mail from NYS Department of Labor, or should I just call their fraud hotline?
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NebulaNinja
Great question! I work in cybersecurity and deal with this stuff daily. A few additional tips: Use a unique, strong password that you don't use anywhere else (consider a password manager), and regularly review your account's "recent activity" or login history if NYS DOL provides that feature. Also, be suspicious of any unexpected text messages or calls asking you to verify account info - legitimate agencies won't ask for passwords or PINs over the phone. If you do suspect fraud, document everything (screenshots, dates, times) before reporting it. The more evidence you have upfront, the faster the resolution process typically goes.
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