Someone stole my NY unemployment identity - how do I actually reach a human to fix this?

This happened to me last summer. Complete nightmare. The only thing that worked was emailing my state representative. Seriously - call your assembly person or state senator's office. They have special contacts at the DOL and can escalate your case. I was getting nowhere for weeks until I did this. Had it resolved in 5 days after my rep's office got involved.

After spinning my wheels for days with the regular unemployment numbers, I finally got through to someone using Claimyr.com - it's this service that calls for you and connects when a real person answers. Talking to an agent got my $ situation sorted so fast after weeks of frustration. They can transfer you to the fraud department too. Check out this video on how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

Sucks this happened to you. Identity theft + unemployment system = total hell. Make sure to file a police report too! You'll need it for documentation. Also file with the FTC at identitytheft.gov - they give you a recovery plan and pre-filled letters to send to creditors.

When this happened to me I had success with the fraud hotline but only when I called at EXACTLY 8:00 am when they open. Like literally had my finger on the dial button at 7:59. If you call even 10 minutes after they open, forget it - you'll never get through. Took 3 mornings of trying but finally worked.

OMG THIS IS LITERALLY THE WORST. I had someone steal my identity for NY unemployment last year and it took me SIX MONTHS to fix!!! The fraud department is overwhelmed because there was so much pandemic-related fraud. My credit score dropped 115 points before I got everything sorted out. If I could give you one piece of advice: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Every call, every email, every letter - keep records of dates/times/who you spoke with.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RESOLVING UNEMPLOYMENT IDENTITY THEFT IN NY: As someone who works adjacent to this issue and has helped dozens of people through it, here's what you need to do: 1) FILE A POLICE REPORT - This is essential documentation you'll need throughout the process 2) CONTACT ALL THREE CREDIT BUREAUS - Place fraud alerts AND freezes 3) REPORT TO THE FTC - Go to identitytheft.gov and follow their recovery plan 4) DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - Keep a journal of all communications 5) CONTACT NY DOL MULTIPLE WAYS: - Submit the online fraud form (sounds like you did this) - Mail a certified letter to their fraud department - Try calling early morning (8:00 AM sharp) or late afternoon (4:30 PM) 6) CONTACT YOUR EMPLOYER - Have them dispute any unemployment verification requests 7) REACH OUT TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE - They have special channels to DOL 8) USE A CALLING SERVICE - If you're still struggling, I've seen people have success with claimyr.com which gets you past the hold times 9) FILE IRS FORM 14039 - This is an Identity Theft Affidavit that helps prevent tax issues 10) BE PERSISTENT - This won't resolve quickly but staying on top of it will get results The system is overwhelmed but there are paths through it. Don't give up!

Not to make things worse, but check if they also filed for SBA disaster loans or PPP in your name too. When my identity was stolen for unemployment, they also tried to get COVID business relief using my info. Total scumbags.

just went thru this. the fastest way to get help is to contact ur state assembly person AND use claimyr.com to get thru to a human. i spent 3 weeks trying everything else with zero success. dont waste ur time on the regular channels tbh

Seriously, the NY unemployment phone system should be studied by scientists as the perfect example of how NOT to design customer service. I have to believe they deliberately make it impossible to reach anyone. It's beyond incompetence - it has to be intentional at this point.

my coworker had the same thing happen and he said after trying for weeks he finally paid for claimyr.com to get through - said it was worth every penny to finally speak to someone who could help with the fraud. Might be worth it if you're desperate.

Make sure you file a report with your county's district attorney too. Some counties have special task forces for unemployment fraud and will prioritize your case if you file directly with them.

Pro tip: call the unemployment TTY/TDD number instead of the regular one. Way fewer people use it so you can sometimes get through faster. You don't need a TTY device - when they answer just explain your situation.

Had a similar issue back in spring. After weeks of frustration I used claimyr to get ahold of unemployment and they actually fixed it fairly quickly once I got through. Their fraud dept can put a block on your SSN to prevent any further claims. definitely worth looking into if the normal channels arent working for u

The real question is how tf are people still able to steal identities for unemployment so easily?? Like hasn't the system been improved at ALL since the pandemic when this was happening constantly? It's ridiculous that we're still dealing with this in 2023.