Made mistake during NY unemployment phone certification - said I didn't return to work

omg the same thing happened to me last month!! dont panic too much, there's ways to fix it. u need to keep trying the main number or try to reach them thru the message center on ur account

This is a common problem with phone certification. You need to do two things immediately: 1. Document the error by sending a message through your online account's secure message center explaining exactly what happened and when 2. Continue trying to reach a claims specialist at 888-209-8124 Don't panic - this isn't considered fraud if you take steps to correct it right away. You'll likely need to repay any benefits received in error, but there shouldn't be penalties if you're proactive.

The same exact thing happened to me last year! I was actually SHAKING thinking they were going to come after me for fraud!!! I couldn't sleep for days and kept imagining the worst possible scenarios. What if they audit me? What if they think I'm lying when I say it was a mistake? What if they make me pay back EVERYTHING with penalties?? The phone system is so confusing!!

After dealing with this exact situation twice last year, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They basically call for you and transfer you when they get a rep. Saved me so much stress! There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Regarding your specific issue - make sure to emphasize it was an unintentional error during the phone certification. They deal with this all the time and have a process for corrections.

Benefits Specialist here. This is what you need to know: 1. This is classified as a "certification error" not fraud, provided you report it immediately 2. Document everything - dates, times, and methods you've used trying to contact them 3. You'll need to complete form TC-FOC (Certification Error Correction) which can be submitted through your online account 4. Continue trying to reach an agent at the main number (888-209-8124) 5. If you receive payment, DO NOT SPEND IT - you will need to return it The correction process typically takes 7-10 business days once you reach an agent. If you can't get through by phone after multiple attempts, try visiting your nearest NY Career Center in person with your documentation.

my cousin works at walmart and says they got a special unemployment hotline number for employees... not helpful for u but why dont they have special numbers for everyone??

UPDATE: I finally got through using that Claimyr service mentioned above! The agent was super helpful and said this happens all the time with the phone system. They've corrected my certification and I just need to pay back the incorrect payment once it posts to my account. No penalties since I reported it right away! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

Glad to hear you got it resolved! This thread is super helpful for anyone dealing with certification errors. Just want to add that it's worth keeping a record of the correction for your files - screenshot the updated certification status or save any confirmation numbers they give you. I learned this the hard way when I had a different issue and they asked me to prove I'd already reported something months later. Better safe than sorry with NYSDOL!

This is such a stressful situation but you're definitely not alone! I went through something similar a few months ago where I mixed up my answers during phone certification. The anxiety was terrible - I kept imagining worst-case scenarios too. But like others have said, the key is acting quickly to fix it, which you're already doing. One thing that helped me was writing down exactly what happened and when, so I had all the details ready when I finally got through to an agent. Also, if you do end up having to repay anything, ask if they offer payment plans - they're usually pretty reasonable about it. The whole system is honestly confusing and these mistakes happen more often than you'd think. You're being proactive about fixing it, which is what matters most!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar issue right now! I accidentally answered wrong during my phone certification last week and have been panicking ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I was convinced I was going to get in serious trouble. I've been trying the main number constantly but keep getting disconnected. Going to try that Claimyr service mentioned and also send a message through the secure portal like others suggested. It's so frustrating that the phone system is so confusing in the first place, but at least now I know I'm not the only one who's made this mistake and that there are ways to fix it. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and advice!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I made the same mistake during phone certification two days ago - accidentally said I didn't return to work when I actually did. I've been absolutely terrified about potential fraud charges and couldn't sleep last night. Reading everyone's experiences here shows me I'm not alone and there's actually a clear path to fix this. I immediately sent a message through the secure portal after reading @db958ca6c97e's advice, and I'm going to keep trying the phone number while also looking into that Claimyr service @de00b5f67618 mentioned. It's so reassuring to see that @f5ca75619235 got their issue resolved without penalties by acting quickly. That gives me hope! I'm documenting everything like others suggested - keeping a log of all my attempts to contact them and screenshots of my messages. Hopefully I can get through to someone soon and get this straightened out. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue and honestly, reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief! I made a similar mistake during phone certification yesterday - got confused by the way they worded the question and gave the wrong answer about my work status. I've been spiraling with anxiety thinking I was going to face fraud charges or huge penalties. The step-by-step advice from @fc89033d6fb5 about documenting everything and looking for the TC-FOC form is incredibly helpful. I had no idea there was an actual form for certification errors! And seeing that @f5ca75619235 got their situation resolved without penalties by acting quickly gives me so much hope. I've already sent a message through the secure portal and I'm going to try that Claimyr service too since the regular phone line has been impossible. It's frustrating that the phone system is so confusing in the first place, but at least now I know there's a clear process to fix these mistakes. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and creating such a supportive thread for people going through this stressful situation!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been navigating the NY unemployment system for a while now. This thread is such a great resource for anyone dealing with certification errors! One additional tip I'd add based on my experience - if you do end up getting through to an agent, ask them to add a note to your file about the correction. This creates an additional paper trail that can be helpful if any questions come up later. I learned this from a really helpful agent who mentioned that internal notes help future representatives understand your situation faster. Also, for anyone still struggling to get through by phone, I've found that calling right at 8:00 AM on weekdays sometimes works better than calling later in the day. The hold times are still brutal, but I've had more luck actually connecting to the queue in those first few minutes after they open. It's really encouraging to see so many people sharing their experiences and helping each other out. The anxiety around these mistakes is so real, but threads like this show that most situations get resolved when you're proactive about fixing them. Keep supporting each other - navigating government systems is stressful enough without having to do it alone!

New to this community but currently dealing with a very similar certification error situation! I accidentally gave the wrong answer during phone certification three days ago and have been absolutely panicking about potential fraud charges. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear that these phone system mix-ups happen way more often than I thought. I've already sent a detailed message through the secure portal explaining exactly what happened, and I'm planning to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned since I can't get through the regular phone line. The advice about documenting everything and keeping a log of contact attempts is really smart. I've started tracking all my calls and screenshots of messages. It's also helpful to know about the TC-FOC form - I had no idea there were specific correction forms available. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories and advice. It really helps to know that acting quickly is the key and that most people got their situations resolved without major penalties. Will definitely update once I get through to an agent!

I'm new to this community and currently going through this exact same nightmare! Made a certification error during phone filing yesterday and have been losing sleep over it ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here has honestly been the first thing to make me feel like I'm not completely doomed. I've already sent a message through the secure portal explaining what happened, and I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service since I've been getting nothing but busy signals on the regular line. The advice about documenting everything and looking for that TC-FOC form is incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were specific correction processes in place. It's so reassuring to see that @f5ca75619235 got their situation resolved without penalties by acting quickly, and that @fc89033d6fb5 confirmed this is treated as a certification error rather than fraud when you report it immediately. The anxiety around this has been overwhelming, but this thread shows there's actually a clear path forward. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories and creating such a supportive space for people dealing with these stressful situations. Will definitely update once I get through to an agent!

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact situation last week! Made a phone certification error where I accidentally said I wasn't looking for work when I actually was. The panic was real - I spent the whole weekend convinced I was going to face fraud charges. What really helped me was following the advice I'm seeing echoed here: I immediately sent a detailed message through the secure portal explaining exactly what happened and when, then kept trying the phone line. I actually got through on my 4th day of calling using the 8 AM strategy someone mentioned - called right at 8:00 AM and got into the queue. The agent was super understanding and said these phone system mix-ups happen constantly. She corrected my certification on the spot and just had me confirm the right information. No penalties since I reported it right away! The whole call took maybe 10 minutes once I actually got through. For anyone dealing with this now - don't panic, document everything, and keep trying. The system is definitely confusing but they have processes in place to fix honest mistakes. This thread has been such a lifesaver for people navigating these stressful situations!

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with this exact same issue! Made a phone certification error two days ago where I accidentally answered that I didn't work any hours when I actually did work part-time. I've been absolutely terrified about fraud allegations and potential penalties. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear these phone system mistakes are way more common than I thought. I immediately sent a message through the secure portal after it happened, and I'm going to try that Claimyr service since I can't get through the regular line no matter how many times I call. The advice about keeping detailed documentation is really helpful. I've started a log with dates and times of all my contact attempts. It's also good to know about the TC-FOC form - I had no idea there were specific correction processes available. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and creating such a supportive thread. Seeing that others got their situations resolved without major penalties by acting quickly gives me hope. Will definitely update once I manage to reach an agent!