Weird email from ny unemployment about identity fraud - should I panic?

This is 100% identity theft. Same thing happened to my sister in October. Someone filed using her info while she was fully employed. DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER IN THE EMAIL! That could be a scam too. Tell your friend to call the official fraud department directly at the number on the official NYSDOL website. He should also freeze his credit ASAP and file a police report for identity theft.

I was in the exact same situation back in July. Someone filed for ny unemployment using my info even though I had a job. I tried calling the regular number for weeks with no luck - always busy or disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to a real person at DOL in about 30 minutes. They helped me report the fraud and clear my name. It was the best money I've ever spent considering how much stress it saved me. They have a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

This happened to me!!! The exact same thing in September. I almost ignored it thinking it was a scam but turned out someone had been collecting benefits in my name for 3 MONTHS. Call the legit DOL fraud department IMMEDIATELY (not the email number). Also file a police report, contact the credit bureaus, and notify the IRS. They'll try to tax him later for benefits he never received if he doesn't clear this up now.

As someone who works in IT security, I can tell you these fraud emails are on the rise. Sometimes the email is legitimate from DOL, sometimes its a phishing attempt piggy-backing on a real issue. Either way, there's likely fraud happening with your friends identity. Here's what they should do: 1. Check if the email is real by examining the sender address carefully (not just the display name). Real DOL emails come from specific .gov domains. 2. NEVER click links in these emails or call numbers listed in them. Go directly to the official NYSDOL website and find their fraud department contact. 3. Place a freeze on all three credit bureaus immediately (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) 4. File an identity theft report with the FTC at identitytheft.gov 5. Contact the NY DOL fraud department through official channels (their website) 6. If trying to reach them by phone is impossible (which it often is), I've had clients use claimyr.com to get through the phone mess and actually talk to someone. It's worth it when your identity is at stake. 7. File a police report - you'll need this documentation for disputing fraudulent claims 8. Notify their employer's HR department so they're aware Identity theft is a nightmare to clean up. The sooner they act, the better.

This is happening everywhere in NY right now. My husband and two friends all got these notices within the last month. Massive identity theft ring targeting New Yorkers. What's crazy is when my husband finally reached someone at unemployment (took 6 days of calling), they told him over 2000 cases like this were reported just last week!

I feel your pain. Been dealing with this exact issue since August. Turns out someone had been collecting $490 a week in my name while I was working full time!! Three pieces of advice: 1) Document EVERYTHING 2) Be prepared to tell your story multiple times to different departments 3) Get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS so they can't file tax returns in your name too.

DONT PANIC BUT ACT FAST. This is probably a real fraud situation but the email itself could also be part of the scam. Call the real DOL number directly (not from the email). I went through this hell in November - someone claimed over $7,800 in benefits using my info. Took FOREVER to resolve because I couldn't get through on the phone. Finally I broke down and used claimyr.com after seeing it recommended here. Got through to someone who helped me file all the right paperwork. Without that I'd still be waiting.

Not to freak u out more but watch your tax situation too. My mom had this happen and then the scammers filed a tax return in her name in February and stole her refund!!! Complete nightmare that took 11 months to resolve with IRS.

The same thing litterally happened to me like two weeks ago! The email is real BUT the phone number might be fake. Go to the official DOL website for the correct fraud hotline. Also you need to file a police report ASAP and get a case number - you'll need this for all the other steps to fix this mess.

Listen, I work for a financial institution (cant say which one) and we've seen a HUGE spike in this exact kind of fraud lately. Your friend needs to treat this as a five-alarm fire 🔥 - full identity theft protocol, not just unemploymnet fraud. Check EVERYTHING - bank accounts, credit cards, existing loans, credit reports. These scammers rarely stop at just filing fake unemployment.

lmao the new york unemployment system is such a joke. sorry this happened to ur friend but not surprised. they have literally NO security. someone used my info back in 2021 and i'm STILL dealing with the fallout. wish i had better news but tell them to prepare for a long battle 💀

My neighbor got this identical email. It was legit - DOL confirmed someone had been filing claims using his identity. Scary part was how much personal info the scammer had - previous employers, exact salary, etc. Made us wonder if there was an inside job or data breach somewhere. Have your friend call DOL directly AND also contact Social Security Administration.

Sadly ur friend is probably one of thousands dealing with this right now 😔 I've been battling this since December. KEY ADVICE: when they finally talk to DOL, make sure they get an official case ID for the fraud report. Without this specific number, you'll get bounced around departments forever. And sign up for IDnotify or LifeLock immediately!

Sorry to say but welcome to HELL. NY unemployment fraud is a nightmare to fix. Took me 4 months, 37 phone calls, and eventually hiring a lawyer. The DOL fraud unit is completely overwhelmed right now. Try calling right when they open (7:30am) for best chance to get through, otherwise use claimyr.com to get past the phone system maze. Worth every penny when ur identity is at stake.

Former NY DOL employee here. This is 100% a real issue and your friend needs to act immediately. The email itself COULD be legitimate - DOL does send these notices when fraud is detected. But he should NOT click any links or call numbers from the email directly. Instead: 1. Call the main DOL number and specifically ask for the fraud department 2. Be prepared with his SSN, ID, employment history for verification 3. Request written confirmation of the fraud case being opened 4. Ask specifically about getting a fraud affidavit - this is CRUCIAL documentation 5. Contact Social Security Administration to notify them as well If he can't get through on the phones (extremely common), I've seen many people have success with claimyr.com to get past the phone tree hell. When I worked there, we actually had claimants telling us they used this service to reach us and it seemed to work well.

This just happened to my wife! The unemployment fraud is just the beginning - they also tried to change her mailing address with USPS and open credit cards. Put a fraud alert on his credit report IMMEDIATELY (its free) and contact the 3 credit bureaus!

Hot take: the department of labor itself is so incompetent that this could actually be a mistake on their end. My husband got a similar notice but after THREE WEEKS of calling, turns out it was just a system glitch that flagged his old claim from 2020 as potentially fraudulent. Still had to jump through all the hoops to clear it up tho. 🤦‍♀️

Hey I had this EXACT SAME THING happen in February!!! I couldn't reach anyone at DOL for days. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) after someone recommended it here - they got me connected to an actual human at unemployment in like 45 mins. The agent confirmed someone had filed using my identity and helped me report the fraud. Best money I've spent considering it saved me weeks of stress and prevented more damage to my credit. Definitely check them out if you can't get through on the regular line.

LOL welcome to the club nobody wants to join! I've been fighting this since November - someone's been collecting $536 a week in my name since October even though I have a full time job. The worst part is DOL treats YOU like the criminal at first. Make sure your friend has all his employment records ready to prove he's been working. And be ready for this to take MONTHS to resolve completely.