Identity theft nightmare with NY unemployment - anyone else dealing with this fraud mess?

Ugh I'm so sorry this happened to you. The SAME thing happened to my cousin last month. The fraudsters are getting more sophisticated. Definitely file that police report ASAP - it helped in my cousin's case because it gave her an official document to prove she was reporting it as fraud. Also contact all three credit bureaus immediately to put a freeze on your credit!

I went through something similar and found this service called Claimyr that helped me actually reach a live person at unemployment without waiting forever. Talking to a real agent made all the difference - they escalated my case and I got my account back in control way faster than waiting for emails. Check out their site (claimyr.com) or this video explains how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - talking to an agent got my $ unlocked so fast!

THIS EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME!!!! I didn't know until I got a tax form in the mail saying I'd received $5200 in benefits that I never saw a penny of! I immediately reported it and had to jump through so many hoops. File the police report AND report it to the FTC at identitytheft.gov - I printed out their recovery plan and followed it step by step. My case took 10 weeks to resolve but I eventually got my real benefits.

NY unemployment's security is a joke. My neighbor works in cybersecurity and says their system is basically held together with duct tape. No surprise criminals are exploiting it. When my account got compromised last year, I had to physically mail in copies of my ID and wait 9 weeks for resolution. The whole system is broken beyond belief.

Make sure you also file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is run by the FBI. They track unemployment fraud across states and it might help your case. I'd also recommend checking what other government accounts might be compromised - like your social security account, IRS account, etc. These scammers often hit multiple systems at once.

Sorry to hear what your going thru. I had identity theft happen with my claim too. Here's what worked for me: 1) File police report immediately - they gave me a case number I could reference 2) Contact all 3 credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) and freeze your credit 3) Call NY unemployment EVERY DAY - yes seriously, be persistent 4) Ask specifically for their fraud department each time 5) Document every call - write down rep names, ID numbers, and what they tell you 6) Send in multiple forms of ID (I sent passport, driver's license, utility bill, birth certificate) 7) Check out claimyr.com if you're having trouble getting through on phones It took me about 5 weeks total but I finally got my account restored and received backpay for everything. Don't give up! The system is slow but if you're persistent they will eventually resolve it.

Classic NY unemployment... they let criminals steal your money then make YOU wait months for resolution. Typical government efficiency 🙄

While your waiting for the investigation, apply for emergency assistance through your local social services office. They have programs specifically for people in your situation and can help with rent/utilities while the unemployment situation gets sorted out.

THIS HAPPENED TO ME!!! It took literally 12 weeks to get resolved. Keep calling every single day. The regular reps are useless - you need to specifically ask for the fraud department. I ended up sending them my birth certificate, social security card, drivers license AND a utility bill before they finally believed me. Good luck man, the system is broken af

Contact your state representative ASAP!! This was the only thing that worked for me. Their office can reach people at unemployment that us regular folks can't. My case was stuck for weeks until I called my assembly member's office. They have staff dedicated to helping with unemployment issues.

im in the exact same boat rn. thieves got $4200 of my benefits and im struggling to pay rent. its been 3 weeks since i reported it and nothing has happened. this is so stressful i cant even sleep

There's an entire subreddit dedicated to unemployment fraud. Check out r/IDTheft - lots of good resources there for your exact situation. From what I've read, getting a police report AND filing with the FTC is key to speeding things up.

Anyone dealing with NY unemployment fraud should immediately: 1) File police report 2) Contact FTC at identitytheft.gov 3) Freeze all credit reports 4) Report to unemployment (KEEP YOUR CONFIRMATION NUMBER!) 5) Document EVERYTHING 6) Check if your email/passwords were in any data breaches 7) Change ALL your government account passwords The state is completely overwhelmed with fraud cases right now. My brother works for the fraud dept and says they're seeing 1000+ new cases daily. The only way to get fast action is to either: A) Use a service like claimyr.com to actually reach a human who can escalate B) Contact your state representative/assembly member C) Be extremely persistent with daily calls Also - this might sound obvious but check your mail carefully! They often send verification letters that look like junk mail, and if you miss responding to those, it further delays your case.

Call 211 - they can connect you with emergency rental assistance and food banks while you're waiting for the unemployment situation to resolve. Don't wait until you're completely broke to reach out for help.

smh the way NY unemployment handles fraud is a complete joke. took me 11 weeks to get my case resolved last year. meanwhile they expect us to just not pay bills or eat food while they "investigate"

Contact the Attorney General's office too! They have a specific division for unemployment fraud and can sometimes light a fire under DOL to move faster on your case. I did this after 5 weeks of no progress and suddenly my case started moving.

has anyone tried going to the actual unemployment office in person? wondering if thats faster than calling?

Make sure you get identity theft protection ASAP! These scammers usually don't stop at just unemployment - they'll try to open credit cards, loans, everything. I recommend LifeLock or similar service. I learned this the hard way after my unemployment was hacked and then suddenly I had 3 new credit cards opened in my name the next month.