How to protect yourself from Washington ESD unemployment fraud - identity theft nightmare

Thank you! I already froze my credit but didn't know about needing a police report for the IRS dispute. How long does this process usually take?

Can take several months unfortunately. The IRS dispute process is slow but they will eventually correct it once you provide the fraud documentation.

Good advice on documentation. Did your neighbor have trouble getting through to Washington ESD to report the fraud?

Yes, she had a horrible time getting through their phone system. Took weeks of calling before she could actually talk to someone about the fraud claim.

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD about fraud issues, I had success using Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped when I needed to resolve my identity verification issues.

Data breaches, dark web purchases of stolen info, phishing scams, even stealing mail. Criminals have gotten really sophisticated with unemployment fraud since 2020.

That's so scary. What can we do to prevent it from happening in the first place?

Also sign up for identity monitoring services if you can afford it. They'll alert you to new accounts opened in your name.

I wish I had known about checking the Social Security earnings record. That probably would have caught this sooner.

Did you file Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit with the IRS? That should at least put a hold on any collection action while they investigate.

Yes but it's still a nightmare. The whole system is broken when it comes to handling fraud victims.

This happened to my coworker! She got a debit card for unemployment benefits she never applied for. Turned out someone in another state had used her info.

That's exactly what happened to me - got the 1099-G out of nowhere. I had no idea someone was collecting benefits in my name.

I didn't know about IdentityTheft.gov - thank you! Every little bit of documentation helps at this point.

It's free and they walk you through the whole process step by step. Really helpful for organizing all the paperwork you'll need.

How long did it take you to get everything resolved? I'm just starting this process and feeling pretty hopeless.

Took about 8 months total to get the IRS stuff cleared up and credit reports corrected. But it does eventually get resolved if you stay on top of it.

Great suggestion! I'll check with HR tomorrow to see if we have anything like that.

Yes! And if you get denied for benefits because the system shows you're already collecting in another state, that's also a fraud indicator.

Thankfully I'm still employed but this is good to know for the future. The scammers are getting really creative.

I hadn't thought of the attorney general's office. At this point I'll file with anyone who might help!

It's worth it. They have more pull with state agencies than regular citizens do.

The problem is they rushed to get benefits out during the pandemic and didn't have proper safeguards in place. Now we're all paying the price.

They've supposedly improved the verification process but clearly not enough if this is still happening regularly.

I'm definitely going to try that. I've been calling for days and just get busy signals or disconnected.

How does Claimyr work? Is it legitimate?

Yeah it's legit, they basically call on your behalf and connect you when they get through. Check out their demo video to see how it works.

Thank you for saying that. I've been feeling really violated and angry about the whole situation. It helps to know that's normal.

Absolutely normal reaction. Take care of your mental health while dealing with all the paperwork and bureaucracy.

I definitely will. This thread has been incredibly helpful - thank you everyone for all the advice and support!