Identity theft messing up my NY unemployment claim - what do I do now?

This happened to me too, but it was back in April. Someone filed using my info and collected for 2 months before I found out. I had to wait almost 6 weeks for the fraud investigation to finish before I could file my own claim. Call the fraud department EVERY DAY. Seriously, be annoying AF. I ended up getting backpay for the weeks I waited but it was a nightmare. Also go ahead and place a fraud alert on your credit report asap if you haven't already.

After dealing with a similar situation and getting nowhere for weeks, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback with an actual human at unemployment. Talking to a real person made all the difference - they escalated my case and I got my account unlocked way faster. Best money I've spent to get my benefits flowing again. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

You need to file an identity theft report with the FTC RIGHT NOW at identitytheft.gov - this creates an official federal record. Then take that to the unemployment office in person. Also notify all 3 credit bureaus. I had to do this last year and it took 2 months to resolve but I eventually got all my benefits.

I work in cybersecurity and unfortunately identity theft with unemployment claims is HUGE right now. Make sure you're also monitoring your credit, bank accounts, and tax records. Sometimes these thieves file fraudulent tax returns too. The unemployment office is overwhelmed with these cases, which is why they're slow to resolve them.

The exact same thing happnd to me and heres what worked: go to your state representatives office and ask for help. Sounds weird but my case was stuck for 5 weeks until I contacted my state rep. Their office has special contacts at unemployment and got my case resolved in 3 days after I'd been waiting over a month!

Try reaching out to the AG's office too. They have a specific division for benefits fraud now becuz theres been so many cases lately. I know several people who got help faster this way than waiting on unemployment to figure it out.

Listen, while your dealing with all this BS, apply for emergency assistance through local charities and nonprofits. Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, and your local Community Action Agency all might be able to help with rent and utilities while this gets sorted out. Don't wait until you're completely broke.

This is EXACTLY why the ny unemployment system is such a joke. They're super quick to send out benefits to scammers but take forever to help actual taxpayers who need help. I've been in your shoes and it took me 8 weeks to get my identity theft case resolved.

For what its worth, I had a similar situation and ended up getting ALL my back pay once they verified my identity, so don't lose hope! They backdated my claim to when I first tried to apply. But yeah the waiting period is brutal.

Here's exactly what you need to do (I work in fraud prevention and have helped several people with this): 1) Report to FTC at identitytheft.gov 2) File a police report - get a physical copy 3) Place a freeze (not just an alert) with all 3 credit bureaus 4) Contact the fraud department daily - document every call with date, time, who you spoke with 5) Send a certified letter to unemployment with copies of all your ID, the police report, and FTC report 6) Contact your state representative AND state senator's offices 7) If you're desperate for a quick response, try claimyr.com - I've had clients successfully use this to get through when the phone lines are impossible Most importantly, document EVERYTHING. Every call, every letter, every visit. This paper trail will be crucial for getting your backpay once resolved. Also check with your employer if they can provide any emergency assistance while you wait.

Bro the same thing happened to me. Some dude in Florida was collecting my benefits for 3 months before I found out. Such garbage. The unemployment system is held together with duct tape and prayers.

Just a heads up - the fraud dept is CRAZY backlogged right now. My cousin's case took almost 3 months to resolve (also identity theft). Start applying for other assistance ASAP - SNAP benefits, rental assistance, etc. Don't wait for unemployment to get their act together.

have you tried going to your LOCAL unemployment office? Sometimes being physically present makes them actually do something. The office in Albany helped me way faster than phone calls ever did.

Ask your previous employer for help proving your identity. My HR department wrote a letter verifying my employment history and identity which sped things up with the unemployment office. Worth a shot.

Im in the same situation and its been 7 weeks of waiting. I finaly got through to someone using claimyr.com and they told me to keep certifying every week even though I cant get any payments yet. That way when your identity is verified youll get all the backpay at once. Dont miss any weekly certifications!