NY unemployment department sending verification texts - are these legitimate?
I got a weird text this morning claiming to be from NY unemployment asking me to verify my identity by clicking a link. Has anyone else received texts from the unemployment department? I'm scared to click on it because it might be a scam, but I don't want to miss something important for my benefits either. The text came from a 5-digit number and mentioned something about my claim needing attention. Should I respond or ignore it?
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Oliver Zimmermann
Yes, NYSDOL does send legitimate text messages, but you're right to be cautious. The official texts typically come from a 5-digit short code (usually 468311) and will direct you to the official ny.gov website. They never ask for your SSN or banking details via text. If you're unsure, don't click the link and instead log into your NY.gov account directly through the official website to check for any notifications there.
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Amina Toure
•Thanks for confirming. The text did come from a 5-digit number that looks similar to what you mentioned. The link was to a ny.gov site, but I'm still nervous. I'll log in through the main website instead of clicking the link.
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Natasha Volkova
i got one last week too!!! freaked me out at first but i called them and they said they do send texts now. better safe than sorry tho, lots of scammers out there trying to get ur info
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Javier Torres
BEWARE!!!! I got a text like that 3 weeks ago and clicked it and entered my info and then BOOM my account was HACKED!!! They changed my direct deposit and stole my benefits!!! Had to spend WEEKS getting it all sorted out and I'm STILL waiting to get my money back!!! DON'T CLICK ANY LINKS!!!
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Emma Davis
•While there are definitely unemployment scams going around, the NYSDOL does send legitimate verification texts. The key is to verify it's actually from them. Real NYSDOL texts will only ever direct you to *.ny.gov websites and never ask for full SSNs or banking details. If you're concerned, always go directly to labor.ny.gov instead of clicking links.
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CosmicCaptain
I've been getting these texts every week when my certification is processed. They started doing this in late 2024 as part of their new notification system. As long as the link goes to ny.gov you should be fine. I find them helpful actually!
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Malik Johnson
my cousin works for unemployment and she says they definitely send texts now but there are also lots of scams going around. she said always check that the site ends with .ny.gov and never give your whole social security number online
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Amina Toure
•That's good to know! The link did have ny.gov in it, but I'm still going to log in through the official site to be safe.
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Isabella Ferreira
I've been trying to reach NYSDOL to verify if these texts are legitimate for days and cannot get through to a real person. Has anyone figured out how to actually SPEAK to someone there? The automated system just keeps sending me in circles and I'm about to lose my mind.
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CosmicCaptain
•I had the same problem last month! I finally used Claimyr and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They keep your place in line so you don't have to stay on hold. Check out their video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. Their website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it when you need to speak to someone urgently, especially with potential scams going around.
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Emma Davis
Here's the official NYSDOL information on text communications: They do send texts for claim updates, certification reminders, and identity verification requests. As of 2025, they use two primary short codes: 468311 and 552020. Always verify that any links direct to *.ny.gov domains. If you receive suspicious texts, report them to NYSDOL's fraud department at dol.sm.fraud@labor.ny.gov and include screenshots if possible.
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Amina Toure
•This is super helpful information! The text I got was from 468311 so that matches what you said. I decided to log into my account directly and there was indeed a verification request waiting in my dashboard. So it was legitimate after all. Thank you everyone for your help!
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Natasha Volkova
btw this is random but did anyone else notice they changed the certification website? took me forever to figure out the new system last weekend
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Malik Johnson
•omg yes!!! why do they always change things when the old system worked fine??? so annoying!!
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