Fraudulent Unemployment Claim Scams

COVID-19 combined with a string of large, high-profile cyber-attacks in recent years has led to an unprecedented increase in the filing of fraudulent unemployment claims nationwide, leaving employees and employers at risk.  You can review the following articles for additional details:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2021/03/scammers-reportedly-using-fake-unemployment-benefits-websites-phishing-lures

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/unemployment-benefits-scams-how-to-protect-yourself/

https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-theft-and-unemployment-benefits

If you receive documentation indicating a claim was filed in your name, and you did not initiate the unemployment claims process, contact Payroll at payroll@sva.edu and utilize the recommended resources below.

How will I know if I need to report a fraudulent claim?

  • ● Human Resources may receive an unemployment request to verify your employment with SVA even though you are still employed with SVA
  • ● You may receive unemployment documents in the mail stating that you have applied and have been approved for unemployment benefits

How do I report the fraudulent claim?

  • ● Contact the New York State Department of Labor fraud unit by completing an online fraud report form here
  • ● Report the fraudulent claim to the Federal Trade Commission through IdentityTheft.gov, where you can also access an identity theft recovery plan
  • ● Report the fraudulent claim to your local police department

Register with a credit monitoring service of your choice, freeze your credit and report the identity theft to the 3-credit bureaus below:

All employees are also strongly encouraged to routinely monitor their credit report to detect signs of identity theft.  Under federal law, all Americans are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months from one of the above reporting companies.  Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ for more information.