NY unemployment fraud affected my child support payments - need help recovering funds
I'm in a desperate situation and need advice ASAP. Someone committed fraud with my NY unemployment account in 2025 and apparently collected benefits in my name! The worst part is, my daughter's mom was supposed to get a percentage for child support (the system shows deductions were made), but she just told me she never received ANY of that money. She says she doesn't even have a child support debit card. I'm completely lost on how to fix this. Has anyone dealt with unemployment fraud AND child support issues? Can I get these funds back? What steps should I take to resolve both problems?
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Zainab Khalil
omg that happened to my cousin last month!!!! you need to call the fraud dept right away and also the child support ppl. its TWO separate issues u gotta handle
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Miguel Ortiz
•Do you know what number I should call for the fraud department? I tried the regular unemployment line but was on hold for 2 hours before getting disconnected.
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QuantumQuest
This is definitely a complex situation you're facing. You need to take several steps to address both the unemployment fraud and the child support issue: 1. File a fraud report with NYSDOL immediately through their fraud portal at labor.ny.gov/fraud 2. Contact NY Child Support Customer Service at 1-888-208-4485 to verify if payments were actually processed or just shown as deducted 3. File a police report for identity theft - you'll need this documentation 4. Contact your bank to flag any suspicious activity 5. Check your credit reports for other potential fraud The good news is that both agencies have procedures for fraud recovery, but it may take 6-8 weeks to resolve. The unemployment fraud team will investigate and potentially issue you a determination letter, which you'll need to keep for your records.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Thank you so much for this detailed plan. Will the fraud department be able to tell me exactly how much was taken? And do you know if they'll be able to recover the child support portion specifically?
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QuantumQuest
•Yes, the fraud department will provide a detailed accounting of all benefits paid out in your name, including amounts deducted for child support. However, for the child support portion, you'll need to work with both agencies. NYSDOL handles the deductions, but the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) handles the actual distribution to your child's mother. The investigation will determine if the money was sent to OCSE and whether it was properly distributed or if it was diverted elsewhere through the fraud.
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Connor Murphy
your ex is probably lying. if the system shows she got paid then she got paid. women always trying to get more $$$$ smh
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Miguel Ortiz
•I don't think she's lying. We actually have a pretty good co-parenting relationship, and she's always been straight with me about finances. Plus, why would she bring it up if she had the money? Doesn't make sense.
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QuantumQuest
•It's definitely best not to jump to conclusions. When fraud is involved, the system might show deductions that never actually reached their intended destination. The fraudster may have changed banking details or redirected payments. This is why both NYSDOL and OCSE need to investigate to trace what happened to those funds.
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Yara Haddad
I went through something similar in January!!! It was an absolute NIGHTMARE!!! Called NYSDOL for WEEKS and couldn't get through to anyone who could help. The fraud department would just take my info and say "someone will call you back" BUT NOBODY EVER DID!!! After wasting so much time, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually worked - they got me connected to an agent within 30 minutes when I had been trying for weeks with no luck. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once I finally spoke with a real person, they helped me file the fraud claim properly and started an investigation. For the child support part, I had to contact OCSE separately as NYSDOL only handles the deductions, not the actual distribution. The whole process took about 9 weeks, but I did eventually get everything resolved and got documentation proving I wasn't the one who claimed those benefits.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Thank you for sharing this! I've been trying to call all morning with no luck. I'll check out Claimyr - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get this resolved. Did they help you get your money back too, or just file the fraud claim?
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Yara Haddad
•Claimyr just helps you connect with an actual NYSDOL agent - once I got through to a real person, the agent walked me through the entire fraud claim process and told me exactly what documents I needed. The agent also sent me forms to fill out that I couldn't find online. Getting connected was the hardest part honestly - once I spoke with someone, the process was much clearer.
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Keisha Robinson
Wait, I'm confused about something... how did you find out it was fraud? Did you get a notification? And how does your ex know she didn't receive anything - wouldn't she have noticed money missing months ago? Something doesn't add up here.
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Miguel Ortiz
•I found out when I tried to file for actual unemployment last week and the system said I already had an active claim from January! As for my ex, she just assumed I wasn't working or that child support was backed up (which happens a lot). She only mentioned it when I told her about the fraud situation. That's when she checked and realized she should have been getting payments all this time.
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Paolo Conti
I work with unemployment cases regularly, and this situation requires prompt action on multiple fronts: 1. First, gather evidence: Take screenshots of any unemployment portal information showing the fraudulent claims and child support deductions 2. File three separate reports: - NYSDOL fraud report online - FTC identity theft report at identitytheft.gov - Police report in your local jurisdiction 3. For the child support aspect: - Contact OCSE at 1-888-208-4485 - Request a payment history report - Ask them to trace where payments were sent - Your child's mother should contact them too to verify her account status 4. Protect yourself from further fraud: - Freeze your credit with all three bureaus - Change passwords on all government accounts - Set up identity monitoring The recovery process typically takes 8-12 weeks, but documenting everything from day one will speed things up considerably. Keep a log of every call, email, and report number.
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Miguel Ortiz
•This is extremely helpful, thank you! Quick question - do you know if I'm liable for the fraudulent benefits if I can't prove it wasn't me? I'm really worried about having to pay back money I never received.
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Paolo Conti
•If you promptly report the fraud and cooperate with the investigation, you generally won't be held liable for benefits you didn't claim. Make sure to emphasize in your fraud report that you never filed, received, or certified for these benefits. The key evidence will be: 1. Login IP addresses that don't match yours 2. Different payment methods than you would have used 3. Certification times that don't align with your schedule 4. Any documentation showing you were employed during the benefit periods NYSDOL has significantly improved their fraud detection systems in 2025, so they'll have data to help confirm your case. Request a hearing immediately if you receive any overpayment notices.
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Amina Sow
Im sorry this happened but I dont understand how someone could file for your benefits? Dont they need your social security number and ID and stuff? Maybe someone close to you did this???
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Miguel Ortiz
•That's what's so scary - they had enough of my personal info to do this. My wallet was stolen last year, so I'm guessing that's when they got my ID. Not sure how they got my SSN though. Definitely wasn't someone close to me.
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Paolo Conti
Update on 2025 recovery procedures: If this fraud happened within the last 90 days, NYSDOL can expedite your case through their Rapid Response Fraud Team. Call and specifically request this service using reference code FR-25. Also, for identity theft cases involving child support, New York implemented a Joint Agency Restoration Program in January 2025 that coordinates between NYSDOL and OCSE to resolve both issues simultaneously. Have your case numbers from both agencies ready when you call, and be sure to mention that child support payments were affected. This will trigger a different protocol that typically moves more quickly than standard fraud investigations.
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Miguel Ortiz
•This is a HUGE help! I had no idea about the Rapid Response team or the Joint Agency program. I'll definitely mention these when I call. Thanks so much!
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Zainab Khalil
anybody else notice theres been TONS of unemployment fraud lately?? like 3 people at my job had this happen in the past 2 months. the system is broken!!
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Connor Murphy
•YEP its totally out of control!!! and NYSDOL doesnt do ANYTHING about it until its too late. they should have better security but they dont care about us regular people!!!
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QuantumQuest
Quick update on the child support aspect: When unemployment fraud affects child support payments, you should also contact the New York Child Support Helpline at 1-888-208-4485 and request to speak with their Fraud Investigation Unit. Specifically ask for Form CSE-2025-F, which is their new specialized form for reporting benefits intercepted through identity theft. Also, have your child's mother contact them separately to verify her payment method preferences are correct in the system. Sometimes fraudsters change not only your information but recipient information as well to redirect payments.
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Miguel Ortiz
•Thanks for this! I'll ask my daughter's mom to call and check her info in the system. Didn't even think about the possibility that they could have changed her info too.
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