Fraud victim: Someone collected my UI during incarceration - will this affect my future ESD claims?
I'm in a complete mess right now and don't know what to do. I was incarcerated during the 2020 COVID shutdown period (served 18 months). I recently discovered something horrifying - an old friend apparently filed for unemployment benefits in my name while I was locked up and collected around $32,000 in benefits that I was obviously not eligible for. I had no idea until I tried to set up an ESD account last week and saw this claim history. She apparently changed all my contact information so I never got any notifications. Here's where it gets even more complicated: this person passed away six months ago from a drug overdose, so I can't even confront her or get her to admit what she did. I'm working now in construction making good money ($38/hour), but my job is seasonal and I might get laid off in winter months. I'm terrified about what happens when I legitimately need UI benefits next time. Will I be automatically denied? Will they come after me for the fraudulent payments even though I had nothing to do with it? I've never dealt with ESD before and have no idea how to even begin addressing this nightmare. Should I report the fraud now or will that just put a target on my back?
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Diego Rojas
omg thats terrible man!! my cousin had something similar happen but not while in jail, just identity theft. he had to file a police report and then contact esd about it. took him forever to get it straightened out tho
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Chloe Martin
•Did your cousin ever get benefits after that? That's what I'm really worried about - getting denied when I actually need them because of this mess.
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Anastasia Sokolov
This is a serious situation that requires immediate action. You need to report this identity theft to both ESD and law enforcement as soon as possible. Here's what you should do: 1. File an identity theft report with your local police department 2. Contact ESD's fraud department at 800-246-9763 or use their online fraud reporting form 3. Get a copy of your free credit report to check for other potential fraud 4. Submit a fraud affidavit to ESD explaining you were incarcerated during the time benefits were claimed Doing this proactively is much better than waiting until you need benefits. If you report it now, you're establishing that you were a victim rather than a participant. ESD deals with fraud cases regularly and has processes for legitimate victims.
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StarSeeker
•This is exactly right. My neighbor went through something similar (not jail, but someone filed using his info). It took about 3 months but ESD cleared his record completely after he filed the police report and submitted the fraud paperwork.
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Sean O'Donnell
Wait, I'm confused about something... how did your "friend" manage to collect benefits in your name? Wouldn't they need access to your bank account or something? And did they somehow fake the weekly claim certifications too? That seems really elaborate! I'm not doubting you, just trying to understand how someone could pull this off.
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Chloe Martin
•From what I can tell by looking at my claim history, she set up direct deposit to her own account. She had access to my personal documents because she was watching my apartment while I was away. And yeah, she did the weekly certifications - there's a record of them all being filed. The contact info on file isn't even mine - different email and phone number. The whole thing is just sickening.
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Zara Ahmed
Woah this is MESSED UP!! The system is so broken that someone could claim $32K in benefits for someone WHO WAS LITERALLY IN PRISON!!!! Doesn't ESD cross-check ANYTHING?? They'll deny people for missing some tiny detail on a form but someone can straight up commit FELONY FRAUD and they just hand over thousands?? And now you're the one who has to clean up this disaster. Classic government incompetence. I bet they'll try to make YOU pay it back too.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•During the pandemic, many verification processes were temporarily suspended or expedited to get money to people quickly. While that's not an excuse for what happened, it does explain why more fraud occurred during that period. The good news is that ESD now has better procedures for handling victims of identity theft, and they won't hold legitimate victims responsible for fraudulent claims.
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Luca Esposito
I had a similar situation happen to me (not jail, but someone filed a claim using my info during COVID). I spent WEEKS trying to get through to ESD on the phone with no luck. I finally used Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent. They have a service that calls ESD for you and connects you when an agent answers. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Once I got through to a person, they transferred me to the fraud department and I was able to report everything. Got a case number and everything was eventually cleared up.
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Chloe Martin
•Thank you for this. I'll check it out. I tried calling ESD yesterday and gave up after being on hold for 2 hours.
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Nia Thompson
Having worked with people in similar situations, I recommend taking these additional steps: 1. Ask ESD for copies of all the claim documents filed in your name 2. Gather documentation proving you were incarcerated during the exact dates benefits were paid 3. Complete ESD form "Declaration of Identity Theft" - specifically indicate you were incarcerated and could not have filed 4. Request a formal determination letter from ESD stating you were a victim of fraud 5. Keep copies of EVERYTHING You should absolutely address this before you need benefits again. Having this documented ahead of time will prevent delays when you legitimately need to file in the future.
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Zara Ahmed
•OP should also file an FTC identity theft report at identitytheft.gov - it creates an official report they can send to ESD!
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Chloe Martin
Thank you everyone for the advice. I'm going to file a police report tomorrow morning and then try to contact ESD's fraud department. I will definitely look into using Claimyr to get through if I keep hitting dead ends on the phone. I just got my release paperwork from DOC that shows exactly when I was incarcerated, so hopefully that will help prove I couldn't have filed these claims. This whole situation is so stressful - I trusted this person and they completely betrayed me when I was at my lowest point.
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StarSeeker
•You're doing the right thing by addressing it head on. Just be patient - these things can take time to resolve, but they do get fixed. Good luck!
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Sean O'Donnell
Quick question - did u also file taxes for 2020 and 2021? Just wondering because unemployment benefits are taxable and if someone claimed all that money in your name, there might also be tax issues you need to sort out with the IRS. Maybe get a copy of your tax transcripts too?
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Chloe Martin
•Oh no, I hadn't even thought about the tax implications. This just keeps getting worse. I'll check with the IRS too. Thanks for pointing this out.
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Nia Thompson
After you've filed the police report and contacted ESD, be sure to also: 1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) 2. Check your Social Security statement to ensure no one is reporting false wages 3. Contact the IRS Identity Protection Unit at 800-908-4490 The fact that you have clear documentation of your incarceration during the exact period of the claims is actually very helpful. It's unambiguous proof you couldn't have filed those claims yourself.
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Chloe Martin
•I just got off the phone with the police and they're sending an officer to take my report today. I'm also gathering all my documentation about my incarceration dates. Thank you for the detailed advice - it's helping me feel like there's a path forward through this mess.
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