Identity theft nightmare with NY unemployment - my claim was hacked and benefits stolen

OMG this EXACT thing happened to me in August! I only caught it because I randomly decided to check my payment history one day. Someone changed my direct deposit info and stole almost $3,400 from me. The unemployment people were useless - kept saying "we're investigating" but it's been over 2 months and still nothing. Did you freeze all your credit reports? That's the first thing I did. Also change ALL your passwords everywhere. These scammers are getting more sophisticated.

After dealing with similar issues trying to reach NY unemployment, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually worked when nothing else did. They got me connected to a live agent after I'd wasted days trying on my own. The agent was able to escalate my fraud case and I got my stolen benefits back in 3 weeks instead of the 12 they initially quoted me. Worth checking out this video for how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - talking to an actual human made all the difference in speeding things up.

File a report with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) immediately! I work in cybersecurity and these unemployment fraud rings are sophisticated and international. The more reports filed, the more likely they'll investigate the entire ring. Also, contact your state representative's office - they can sometimes light a fire under unemployment to expedite fraud cases.

The same thing happened to my cousin last month. The unemployment office is completely overwhelmed with fraud cases right now. One thing that helped him was contacting the state attorney general's office - they have a special task force for unemployment fraud and were more responsive than unemployment itself. Still took about a month to get the money back though. It sucks.

This is a HUGE problem right now with ny unemployment. There's actually a class action lawsuit forming because NYSDOL has been so negligent with security. Google "new york unemployment class action fraud" and you'll find the form to join. Won't help immediately but might get you compensation eventually. In the meantime, here's what worked for me to speed things up: 1) File police report (which you did, good) 2) Call your bank and file a dispute since the money was sent to a fraudulent account 3) Contact state rep (this is what finally worked for me) 4) Keep detailed records of all communications 5) If you're facing eviction, apply for emergency rental assistance It took me about 5 weeks to get my money back, which is better than the 12 they quoted. Good luck!

NY unemployment security is a JOKE. My account was hacked TWICE in the past year. Change your password to something super complex and enable 2FA if they offer it (i don't think they do which is ridiculous). Also check your email accounts for any forwarding rules you didn't set up - hackers often set these up to intercept security alerts.

Here's what helped me get my case resolved faster when this happened to me: 1. File a detailed police report and get a copy 2. Use claimyr.com to actually get someone on the phone (seriously, this saved me days of frustration) 3. Ask specifically for the fraud department when you get through 4. File a complaint with the state attorney general's office 5. Notify all three credit bureaus 6. Contact your state representative's office 7. Submit a consumer complaint to the CFPB if bank accounts were involved 8. Document EVERYTHING Doing all of this simultaneously created enough pressure that my case was resolved in about 5 weeks instead of the 3+ months they initially quoted me. The system is overloaded with these cases right now, so you have to make noise to get attention. Also, if you're facing immediate financial hardship, tell the agent that specifically. There's an emergency process they can use for people facing eviction or utility shutoffs, but they won't volunteer this information unless you specifically say you're in crisis. Good luck and hang in there - it's a horrible thing to go through but you will eventually get your money back.

I don't wanna freak you out more but CHECK YOUR TAX ACCOUNT TOO. These hackers often file fraudulent tax returns after they access your unemployment. Create an account on the IRS website if you haven't already to make sure nobody's filed in your name.

lol welcome to NY unemployment where they make you jump through 500 hoops to get benefits but can't secure their own systems against hackers 🤡 The whole department needs to be rebuilt from scratch.

Went through this EXACT hell in April. Try contacting the fraud department directly at 888-598-2077. That number sometimes works better than the main one. Also, get yourself a credit monitoring service ASAP - these hackers usually don't stop at just unemployment fraud.

After trying for days to reach NY unemployment about fraud on my account, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in under an hour. Best money I ever spent considering it saved my claim. Just throwing that out there if you're desperate like I was.

The thing that really pisses me off about these situations is that NYSDOL doesn't even verify bank account changes properly!! No text verification, no waiting period, nothing. In what world is that acceptable security in 2023??? 😤

If you're really desperate while waiting for the investigation, look into local emergency assistance programs. Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, and many local community action agencies have emergency funds for exactly these situations. Also check if your county has a Short Term Emergency Aid for Families program.

NYSDOL completely dropped the ball on this for wayyy too many people. I've been reading stories like yours for months now. Have you tried reaching out to local news stations? They LOVE these stories and unemployment offices hate bad press. Might light a fire under them to resolve your case faster.

Im sorry this happened to you. The waiting period is insane when you need the money now! One thing that helped me was getting a live person on the phone using claimyr.com - once I explained my situation was urgent due to possible eviction, they flagged my case as priority. Still took a few weeks, but better than months.

This may sound weird but try reaching out on Twitter. Tag NY DOL and your state reps. Public callouts sometimes get faster responses than going through official channels. Worth a shot anyway.