NYS Department of Labor flagged my claim for fraud investigation - what is unemployment fraud exactly?
I got a letter from NYS Department of Labor saying my unemployment claim is under review for potential fraud. I'm completely confused because I've been filing everything honestly. I worked part-time at a retail store and reported all my hours and earnings on my weekly claims. Now they're asking for tons of documentation and I'm scared they think I did something wrong. Can someone explain what unemployment fraud actually means? I don't want to lose my benefits over a misunderstanding. Has anyone else been through this kind of investigation?
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Diego Vargas
Unemployment fraud basically means the NYS Department of Labor suspects someone intentionally provided false information to get benefits they weren't entitled to. Common examples include not reporting work income, claiming benefits while working full-time, using fake identity documents, or continuing to claim after returning to work. Since you mentioned you've been reporting your part-time hours, this might just be a routine verification. Make sure you have pay stubs, work schedules, and any correspondence with your employer ready.
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Chloe Harris
•Thanks for explaining that. I definitely reported everything correctly but maybe there was some kind of system error? Should I be worried about having to pay money back?
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NeonNinja
ugh this happened to my cousin last year... turned out the employer reported different hours than what she put on her weekly claims. took like 2 months to sort out but she didnt get in trouble because it was just a mistake
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Chloe Harris
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! My manager was pretty disorganized with scheduling so maybe they reported something wrong to NYS Department of Labor.
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Anastasia Popov
I had a similar fraud investigation issue and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks. The phone lines are always busy and when you finally get through, they often can't access your specific case details. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual agent who could explain what triggered the investigation. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was honestly the only way I could get real answers about my case instead of just waiting and worrying.
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Sean Murphy
•How much does that service cost? I'm already stressed about money and don't want to spend more if I don't have to.
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Anastasia Popov
•I was worried about cost too but honestly getting clear information quickly was worth it. You can check their site for details - I just needed to know what was happening with my claim.
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Zara Khan
THE FRAUD DETECTION SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN! They flag honest people all the time while actual fraudsters slip through. I know three different people who got investigated for stupid reasons - one because their employer filed their quarterly report late, another because of a computer glitch that double-counted their wages. Meanwhile you hear about people collecting benefits in multiple states and nothing happens to them. The whole NYS Department of Labor system needs an overhaul.
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Luca Ferrari
•I feel your frustration but the investigators are just doing their job. Most fraud cases do get resolved quickly when people provide the right documentation.
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Nia Davis
same thing happening to me right now! they want like 10 different documents and I don't even know where some of them are. this is so stressful
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Zainab Omar
•I totally get how overwhelming the document requests can be! When I went through something similar, I made a checklist and tackled one document at a time. For any missing paperwork, try contacting your employer's HR department or payroll company - they usually keep records longer than you might think. Also, your bank statements can help show when you received paychecks if you can't find pay stubs. Don't panic, just gather what you can and submit it with a note explaining any missing items.
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