TWC paid benefits to mystery bank account - Filed fraud claim - How long for resolution?

Oh wow, that's definitely concerning. Unfortunately, TWC fraud investigations can take 6-8 weeks to complete based on their current backlog. Make sure you've filled out Form FC-010 (Fraud Affidavit) and submitted it along with your claim. You'll also need to file a police report and provide that reference number to TWC. Keep documenting everything, including screenshots of the bank account info showing on your TWC portal. I'd recommend checking your credit report too, as someone may have opened an account in your name.

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME last year!!! Except mine went to some checking account I never heard of. TWC is TERRIBLE about handling these cases. Took them almost 4 months to resolve and I had to keep calling constantly. They kept saying "under investigation" every time I called. Document EVERYTHING and take screenshots of all your portal info because they might ask for it multiple times (they lost my paperwork twice). The whole system is broken!!

wow thats so messed up! hope u get ur money back soon. this is y i always choose direct deposit to my checking, 2 many problems with those twc cards and apparently now fraud 2! good luck

This is unfortunately becoming more common. I work with people dealing with TWC issues, and I've seen several cases like yours in recent months. The fraud department is seriously backlogged right now. While you're waiting for the investigation, I'd recommend trying to speak directly with the fraud department rather than general TWC representatives. The problem is getting through their phone system, which is nearly impossible these days. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to TWC when I was handling my own unemployment issue. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you back when a rep answers. Saved me hours of redial frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh Definitely push for the fraud department specifically, as general reps often can't help much with these cases.

I helped my brother-in-law with almost this exact situation in November. Here's what you need to do: 1. File ID theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov 2. File police report with local department (required for TWC to take action) 3. Complete TWC's Form FC-010 completely 4. Send all documentation to TWC's fraud email (fraud@twc.texas.gov) AND mail hard copies 5. Call TWC's fraud hotline directly: 512-463-2832 The regular TWC phone lines won't get you to the right department. The process took about 7 weeks for my brother-in-law, but they did recover and reissue all his benefits. Make sure you check your address in the TWC system too - sometimes fraudsters change that as well.

my cousin had his account hacked but it was diffrent they changed his direct deposit info aftr he already got 2 payments. he never got a fraud investigation finished cuz he got a job really quick and gave up. the system is broken nobody follows up TWC doesnt care once ur not claiming anymore tbh

One more thing to consider - check if you can still access your TWC account online. In some fraud cases, the fraudsters also change your login information. Make sure you secure your account with a strong password and set up multi-factor authentication if TWC offers it. Keep a log of every contact you have with TWC about this issue (date, time, representative name, what was discussed). This documentation will be crucial if your case gets delayed or if you need to escalate to a supervisor or even your state representative's office. For the police report, yes, just go to your local police department and explain the situation. Tell them you need the report for a TWC unemployment fraud investigation.

This happened to my roommate! She thought she selected direct deposit but benefits went to some random account. TWC told her that someone probably hacked her account and changed the deposit information. The investigation took about 5 weeks in her case. She had to submit bank statements proving she didn't have an account with those numbers. Do you use the same password for multiple accounts? That's how they got into my roommate's TWC account - through a data breach on some other website. Change ALL your passwords just to be safe.

just wondering did u check ur emails during that time? sometimes they send emails about account changes but they go to spam folder

One more critical tip - if you filed in September and went back to work in December but just discovered this in January, make sure TWC understands this timeline clearly. They have strict time limits for reporting fraud (usually 30 days from discovery, not from when it happened). Emphasize that you just discovered the issue in January when you tried to resolve the missing card issue. If anyone at TWC tries to say you're outside the reporting window, ask to speak to a supervisor and cite Texas Administrative Code, Title 40, Part 20, which allows extensions for good cause (not receiving proper notification would qualify). Your persistence will pay off eventually, but unfortunately these cases do take time to resolve.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is actually becoming a huge problem with TWC lately. I went through something similar last year where someone changed my banking info after I'd already received a few payments. A few things that really helped me get through the process faster: 1. When you call that fraud hotline number someone mentioned (512-463-2832), ask them to email you a case reference number immediately. Having that number makes follow-up calls way easier. 2. Don't just rely on their online portal - the fraud department often doesn't update it regularly. Call every 2 weeks for status updates and document who you spoke with. 3. If you have any old screenshots or emails from when you originally applied showing you selected the debit card option, gather those now. They helped prove my case. 4. Consider reaching out to your state representative's office if this drags on past 8-10 weeks. They have a constituent services team that can sometimes light a fire under TWC to move faster. The whole thing took about 9 weeks for me, but I did get every penny back plus they issued it on a new debit card. Stay persistent - the squeaky wheel gets the grease with TWC unfortunately!

This is absolutely infuriating and unfortunately way too common these days! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where my benefits went to some account I've never seen before. A few things that have helped me so far: - When you file that police report, make sure to specifically mention "identity theft" and "fraudulent bank account access" - the TWC fraud department needs those exact terms in the report - Save/screenshot EVERYTHING from your TWC portal before they potentially "fix" anything, because I've heard of cases where people lost their evidence when TWC updated their systems - If you have any friends or family who work in banking, ask them to help you trace those routing/account numbers. Sometimes you can at least figure out which bank the fraudulent account is with The 6-8 week timeline everyone's mentioning seems accurate based on what I'm hearing from the fraud department, but don't let them string you along past that. Start escalating if you hit 10 weeks with no resolution. Stay strong - this whole system is broken but people ARE getting their money back eventually. Document everything and keep pushing!