Someone filed for unemployment in my name - what do I do with Washington ESD?

This is unfortunately becoming more common. You need to report this to Washington ESD immediately as unemployment fraud. Call their fraud hotline at 1-800-246-9763 and also file a report online through their secure portal. Document everything - save all the paperwork you received.

same thing happened to my neighbor last year. took forever to get through to anyone at washington esd though, she was on hold for hours every time she called

You also need to contact the IRS because whoever filed this fraudulent claim will probably receive a 1099-G tax form in your name. This could mess up your taxes big time if you don't get ahead of it.

THIS IS HAPPENING TO SO MANY PEOPLE!!! The unemployment system is a mess and criminals are taking advantage. I had to deal with this last year and it was a nightmare. Washington ESD was completely unhelpful and kept transferring me to different departments.

Check if they've also filed for other benefits like food stamps or medical assistance. Fraudsters often hit multiple programs at once.

happened to me too but it was actually my ex who did it. not saying thats your situation but think about who might have access to your social security number and personal info

When you do get through to Washington ESD, ask them to put a fraud alert on your SSN in their system. This will prevent future fraudulent claims from being processed automatically.

Make sure you get case numbers for everything you file. Every report, every phone call, every email. You'll need these for follow-up.

also freeze your credit with all three bureaus if you havent already. experian equifax and transunion

The Washington ESD fraud department is actually pretty good once you get through to them. They deal with this stuff all day now unfortunately. Just be patient and keep calling.

I work in HR and we've had several employees deal with this. One thing that helped was having their employer write a letter confirming they've been continuously employed. Washington ESD asked for this as proof.

Just wanted to say hang in there. This happened to my sister and it felt overwhelming at first but she got it sorted out. The key is staying organized and following up regularly.

Don't forget to check if any money was actually paid out on the fraudulent claim. If so, you'll need to report that specifically because it affects the recovery process.

Since you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I'd definitely recommend trying Claimyr. A friend of mine used it recently for a different issue and got through to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting hours. For something this urgent, it might be worth it.

File a complaint with the Attorney General's office too. They track these cases and it adds pressure on Washington ESD to resolve it quickly.

this is why i never give my ssn to anyone unless absolutely necessary. too many data breaches these days

Document everything with timestamps. Every phone call, every email, every piece of mail. If this goes to court or you need to prove damages later, you'll need a paper trail.

My coworker went through this exact same thing. She said the hardest part was getting Washington ESD to actually close the fraudulent claim. They kept asking for more documentation even after she proved she didn't file it.

Check your bank statements carefully too. Sometimes fraudsters try to change the direct deposit information to get benefits sent to their own accounts.

If you haven't already, sign up for a my Social Security account online. This will prevent fraudsters from creating accounts in your name for Social Security benefits too.

Thanks for posting about this. I just checked my credit report after reading your post and found some suspicious activity I need to investigate. Sometimes these things are connected.