How to check if someone is using my identity for Washington ESD unemployment benefits

This is unfortunately becoming more common. First thing you need to do is contact Washington ESD immediately to report suspected identity theft. You can file a fraud report online or call their fraud hotline. Also check your credit reports for any suspicious activity and consider freezing your credit.

same thing happened to my neighbor last year, someone filed a claim using her info and she didn't find out until tax season

You should also file a police report for identity theft and get a copy of that report. Washington ESD will likely ask for it when you dispute the fraudulent claim. Also sign up for credit monitoring if you haven't already - identity thieves often use stolen info for multiple types of fraud.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when this happened to me. Their phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I ended up using Claimyr.com to get connected to an actual agent - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call on my own.

This is SO frustrating! The system is broken when criminals can just steal people's identities and file fake claims. Meanwhile legitimate claimants can't even get through to get help. Makes me so angry.

One more important step - make sure to notify the IRS about the fraudulent 1099-G form you received. You'll need to file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) with them so they know the unemployment income wasn't actually yours.

check your mail carefully too, sometimes they send stuff to the fraudster's address but other notices might still come to you

Also worth mentioning - if you're having trouble accessing your legitimate Washington ESD account because someone created a fraudulent one, you'll need to work with their identity verification team to sort that out. They have specific procedures for these situations.

My sister went through this nightmare last year. Make sure to keep calling Washington ESD even if it's frustrating - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. She had to call multiple times before someone finally took her case seriously.

Don't forget to check with other states too if you've lived elsewhere recently. Sometimes fraudsters file claims in multiple states using the same stolen identity.

This happened to my coworker and it took MONTHS to resolve. Washington ESD moves so slowly on these cases it's ridiculous. She had to keep following up constantly.

Make copies of everything before you send anything to Washington ESD. They have a habit of losing paperwork and you'll want backup copies of all your documentation.

Also sign up for account alerts with Washington ESD once you get your identity sorted out. That way you'll get notified immediately if someone tries to file another fraudulent claim in your name.

Whatever you do, don't ignore this hoping it will go away. Identity theft for unemployment benefits can really mess up your taxes and credit if you don't address it quickly.

You might also want to check if your employer has been contacted about the fraudulent claim. Sometimes Washington ESD reaches out to verify employment and your HR department might have gotten confused calls.

The whole system is such a mess. Honest people get their identities stolen and then have to prove their innocence while actual fraudsters probably never face consequences.

Just wanted to add that Claimyr has been super helpful for situations like this. When you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD about identity theft, their service can save you hours of frustration trying to get through.

Keep detailed records of every phone call, email, and piece of mail related to this fraud case. You'll need a paper trail if things get complicated later.

Update us when you get this resolved! I'm curious how long the whole process takes and what steps end up being most important.

One last thing - make sure your address is up to date with all your accounts and the post office. Sometimes fraudsters try to redirect mail to cover their tracks.

I went through something similar last year and it was a nightmare to deal with. Here are the key steps that helped me get it resolved: 1) File the fraud report with Washington ESD immediately - don't wait, 2) File a police report for identity theft and get a case number, 3) Contact the IRS and file Form 14039, 4) Pull all three credit reports and look for other fraudulent activity, 5) Document EVERYTHING with dates and reference numbers. The whole process took me about 4 months to fully resolve, but acting quickly definitely helps. Also consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports while you're dealing with this. Stay persistent - you'll get through this!