NY unemployment identity theft - someone claimed benefits using my info!

omg this happened to me last year! what a nightmare. I had to file a police report first then submit the form on NYSDOL's website about 5 times before it went through. It took almost 4 months to get a corrected 1099-G. In the meantime I had to file for a tax extension. Definitely freeze your credit reports ASAP if you haven't already.

After trying for weeks to get through to ny unemployment about my identity theft issue, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they actually got me connected to a real agent! They stayed on hold so I didn't have to and called me when they got through. Talking to an agent got my $ situation fixed way faster than the online forms. Check out their process here: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - it was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for days.

File an identity theft report with the FTC at identitytheft.gov asap. They'll give you a recovery plan specific to unemployment fraud. You'll also need to fill out the NYSDOL's fraud report form AND send them a signed affidavit saying you never applied for or received benefits. This happened to my sister and the whole process took about 2-3 months to resolve. 😫

This is happening to SO MANY people in NY right now. The unemployment system was completely overwhelmed during covid and scammers took advantage. I went through this exact situation in October. Here's what worked for me: 1) File police report 2) File report with NYSDOL fraud unit (keep trying if website errors out) 3) Contact your employer to confirm they never received unemployment claim notices 4) File FTC identity theft report 5) Put fraud alerts on all three credit bureaus 6) Contact IRS to let them know the 1099-G is fraudulent 7) MOST IMPORTANT: actually speak to someone at NYSDOL - I used claimyr.com to get through after trying for weeks The kicker? Even after all this, I *still* had to file for a tax extension because they couldn't fix it in time. But they did eventually send a corrected 1099-G showing $0. Good luck - this entire system is broken but persistence pays off eventually!

Dont bother calling the fraud hotline they never pick up 😤 I had the same thing happen and the only thing that worked was showing up IN PERSON at the local labor office. Bring ID, the 1099-G, and a printout of your credit report. They fixed mine in about 45 days after that.

The exact same thing happened to me!! Mine was for $15,800 from last year. I nearly had a heart attack opening that form. Turns out whoever did it had setup direct deposit to some random bank account. Request your unemployment payment history from NYSDOL - they can tell you exactly when payments were made and how they were distributed. That info might help if you need to file a police report.

Literally EVERYONE in my apartment building got fake 1099-Gs this year. It's a massive scam targeting NY. The unemployment office is useless but I finally got mine fixed after I contacted my state representative's office. They have special liaisons who can escalate these cases. Took about 6 weeks after that to get resolved.

Ugh I hate to tell you this but I've been fighting this same battle since November. I've sent in multiple forms, called hundreds of times, even got my state senator involved. Still waiting for a corrected 1099-G. The system is completely broken. My accountant told me to file my taxes normally (without the fraudulent unemployment income) and attach a statement explaining the situation. Apparently the IRS is aware of the massive fraud happening.

I work at an accounting firm and we're seeing this constantly with NY unemployment. Pro tip: File IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) along with your tax return and a statement explaining the situation. Also request a PIN from the IRS for future tax filings to prevent fraud. Most important thing is to document EVERYTHING - every call, letter, and form you submit. The IRS will not penalize you as long as you're making good faith efforts to resolve it.

I actually got arrested because of this!!! Someone filed for unemployment in my name, then my employer reported that I was working while collecting benefits. Took 3 months to clear my name. Make sure you tell your employer what's happening so they don't accidentally implicate you!

this is why I check my credit report every month now. too many scammers out there. sorry this happened to you OP.

Sadly welcome to the club 😭 The only way I got this fixed was using claimyr.com to get through to an actual person at unemployment. Talking to an agent got my situation fixed in weeks instead of months. They had me fill out an affidavit on the spot and expedited my case since I had my tax deadline coming up.

Had the same problem last year. The corrected 1099-G took 5 months to arrive. What worked for me was contacting my state assembly person - their office had a direct line to someone higher up at NYSDOL. Don't just rely on the regular channels because they're overwhelmed.

The exact same thing is happening to me right now!! I got a 1099-G for $9,680 that I never received. Been trying to call for weeks with no luck. Has anyone tried the fraud form on the website and actually gotten a response? The form keeps timing out when I try to submit it.

CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS AND CREDIT REPORTS IMMEDIATELY! This happened to my cousin and they also had opened credit cards in her name. Full identity theft, not just unemployment fraud.

Here's a weird tip that worked for me: contact your state senator or assembly member. They have staff dedicated to helping constituents with state agency issues. My fraud case was resolved in 3 weeks after my senator's office got involved. Before that I spent 2 months getting nowhere with NYSDOL directly.

Can we talk about how BROKEN the NY unemployment system is??? Like how hard would it be to verify someone's identity BEFORE sending them thousands of dollars? The fact that this is happening to so many people is just proof that the entire system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.