NY unemployment system showing existing claim when I never filed - identity theft problem

Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly common in 2025. Your friend needs to do two things immediately: 1. File an identity theft report with the NYSDOL by completing Form ID-TC42 (Identity Theft Claim Report). This can be found on the NYSDOL website under "Fraud and Identity Theft." 2. Submit documentation proving her identity through the secure document upload portal. She'll need to include her driver's license, social security card, and at least two recent pay stubs from her legitimate employer. The standard processing time for identity theft claims is currently 15-20 business days, so she should start this process immediately.

omg this EXACT thing happened to me in January!! the system kept saying i already had a claim but i hadnt filed since like 2018. turns out someone had been collecting benefits in my name for like 3 months before i even knew about it!!

The NY unemployment system is COMPLETELY BROKEN when it comes to handling fraud!! I went through this nightmare last summer and spent THREE MONTHS trying to get it fixed while bills piled up! The NYSDOL fraud department is understaffed and overwhelmed, and they treat YOU like the criminal! Your friend should also file a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and get a case number. Put EVERYTHING in writing and keep detailed records of every call, email, and letter. She'll need this paper trail when they inevitably lose her documentation multiple times.

tell ur friend to call right when they open at 8am. thats when i finally got thru

After struggling with a similar identity theft situation for weeks, I finally found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual human at NYSDOL. With the fraud department especially, you really need to speak to someone directly rather than just submitting forms online. The service basically holds your place in line so you don't have to keep redialing. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE that explains how it works. I was skeptical at first but it saved me from waiting another month to get my claim sorted out.

make sure she gets a confirmation number for EVERY interaction with unemployment. my husband dealt with this last month and they kept saying they had no record of him calling before even tho he'd called like 10 times!!! their system is totally broke

To add some important information to this discussion: 1. Your friend should immediately request a "Fraud Hold Release" specifically when she speaks with NYSDOL. This is a special administrative action that temporarily unfreezes her account while the fraud investigation proceeds. 2. She should also request a "UI Identity Verification PIN Reset" which will allow her to establish a new, secure PIN once her identity is verified. 3. For documentation, the most effective combination is her birth certificate, social security card, and two forms of photo ID (passport and driver's license are best). 4. Have her specifically request to speak with the "Special Claims Unit" when she calls - they have authority to expedite identity theft cases. Timeline expectation: With proper documentation and if she follows this exact process, her account should be cleared for a new filing within 10-15 business days.

my cousin tried for 2 months to fix this exact problem and ended up having to get his state rep involved, might want to try that too

One more important tip: After filing the ID-TC42 form, your friend should request a "Fraud Investigation Status Report" after 5 business days. This serves two purposes: 1. It confirms her case is actually being processed and hasn't fallen through the cracks 2. It creates another timestamp in the system, which helps with backdating her legitimate claim later Also, when she finally gets to file her legitimate claim, make sure she answers "Yes" to the question "Have you previously reported identity theft to NYSDOL?" and provides the fraud report reference number. This connects the two cases in the system.