Received a random notice from NY unemployment but I never filed - identity theft?

Same thing happened to me in September! Someone filed using my info while I was still employed. What worked for me was going to the fraud section on the ny unemployment website and filling out their identity theft form. They have a specific form for this exact situation. Takes about 3-4 weeks for them to close the fraudulent claim. Also notify your HR department so they can contest it from their end.

After dealing with a similar situation last month, I finally got through to a live agent using claimyr.com - it was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits paid quickly. They called the unemployment office for me, waited on hold, then connected me once a rep picked up. I explained the fraud situation and they resolved it within minutes. Had tried calling myself for DAYS with no luck. Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Make sure you also report this to the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov - they'll give you a recovery plan specific to unemployment fraud. I went thru this in August and it was a nightmare until I found out the right steps.

The NY unemployment system is so broken. My brother had the same thing happen and it took 7 weeks to resolve. Document EVERYTHING and send all communication through certified mail if possible so you have proof. The burden of proof is on you in these situations unfortunately.

Had this exact problem about 4 months ago. Here's what you need to do: 1. Fill out the fraud form on the NY unemployment website 2. File an identity theft report with the FTC 3. Contact all three credit bureaus and put a freeze on your credit 4. File a police report locally 5. Contact your employer's HR department so they can dispute the claim 6. Try to speak with a live agent at unemployment to have them flag your account For the last step, I wasted days trying to get through until I found claimyr.com - they called for me, waited on hold, then connected me with an agent. Once I spoke to someone, the process went much faster. Also, get a free copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com to see if there's any other suspicious activity. Identity thieves rarely stop at just one thing. It took about 5 weeks total to get everything resolved. The unemployment office sent me a letter confirming the claim was fraudulent and closed. I also signed up for an identity protection service afterward just to be safe.

You should also check your email accounts for any suspicious activity. The scammers might have access to more than you think. Change ALL your passwords just to be safe.

happened to me too!!!! so annoying. they sent me a debit card i never asked for with benefits i never claimed. took FOREVER to fix.

Same happened to my wife. Watch out for tax implications too - the IRS might think you received that money even if you didn't. Make sure you keep all documentation for next tax season.

not falling for another unemployment 'hack'... these never work

This is why I check my credit report every month now. Too many scammers out there. The unemployment office should have better verification systems in place!

The pandemic unemployment fraud was insane and it's still happening. The state lost BILLIONS to scammers and now innocent people like us have to deal with the fallout. smh

check if ur employer's hr system was hacked. thats how my info got stolen. some big companys had data breaches last year.

Just a heads up, I was in your exact situation and it took just over 2 months to fully resolve. Be patient and persistent! The most important thing is getting a WRITTEN confirmation from unemployment that the claim was fraudulent.