Someone filed unemployment using my name - what steps do I take with NYS Department of Labor?
I just found out that someone has been filing for unemployment benefits using my personal information. I got a notice from NYS Department of Labor about a claim that I never filed, and I'm currently employed full-time. This is really scary because I don't know how much personal info they have or what else they might be doing with it. Has anyone dealt with identity theft involving unemployment claims? What's the process to report this to NYS Department of Labor and get it sorted out? I'm worried this could mess up my taxes or affect my job.
9 comments
Join the conversation
Morita Montoya
This is unemployment identity theft and it's unfortunately common. You need to contact NYS Department of Labor immediately to report the fraudulent claim. Call their fraud hotline and also file a report with the NYS Department of Labor online fraud reporting system. You'll also want to file a police report and contact the three credit bureaus to place fraud alerts on your accounts. Document everything and keep copies of all correspondence.
0 coins
Beth Ford
•Thank you! Do you know if I need to do anything special for tax season since they probably got a 1099-G issued in my name?
0 coins
Kingston Bellamy
ugh this happened to my sister last year, took months to sort out with NYS Department of Labor
0 coins
Joy Olmedo
I had a similar situation and couldn't get through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone for weeks. The hold times were insane and I kept getting disconnected. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was a lifesaver for getting this fraud issue resolved fast.
0 coins
Beth Ford
•Really? I've been trying to call for two days with no luck. How does that service work exactly?
0 coins
Joy Olmedo
•They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Super simple to use and way less frustrating than sitting on hold for hours.
0 coins
Isaiah Cross
This is so frustrating! The same thing happened to me and NYS Department of Labor acted like it was my fault somehow. Make sure you get everything in writing because they might try to say you were involved or knew about it. The whole system is a mess and they don't make it easy to report fraud. I had to send the same documents like 5 times before they finally cleared my name.
0 coins
Kiara Greene
Also freeze your credit immediately if you haven't already. If they have enough info to file an unemployment claim, they probably have your SSN and other details that could be used for other types of fraud.
0 coins
Beth Ford
•Good point, I'll do that today. This whole situation has me so paranoid about what else they might try.
0 coins