Detecting and Reporting Fraudulent UI Claims: Fighting UI Fraud is Everyone’s Job
The COVID-19 crisis has made the environment ripe for fraud. States’ UI systems are being overwhelmed with record numbers of new and weekly claims; they have staffed up rapidly to process claims; however, there has not been time to train new or contracted employees on how to identify suspicious claims. With an urgency to pay claims quickly, states have waived their one week waiting period. The waiting period is used by states to validate and investigate claim eligibility; and with many employers working remotely, no one is there to timely respond to the UI notices that come by mail. Savio…
Instructions to Identify Theft Victim
MDES provided us with instructions that if a victim has received a MDES debit card, the debit card should be shredded immediately and your employee's email their name, phone number, date debit card was received and date card was destroyed. The email address they provided is safe@mdes.ms.gov. We are advising identify theft victims to copy/photograph (back and front) the card so they will have evidence when they file their police report. They should also retain all mail associated with the claim to support their police report. After you report the claims as fraudulent, the employees should get an acknowledgement from…
Reporting Fraudulent Claim to MDES
Send an email to safe@mdes.ms.gov with the employees’ name and last four digits of their social security number. This email should contain this or similar language: “We would like to report a fraudulent identity theft claim filed against the SSN of John Smith XXX-XX-1234. Mr. Smith is currently employed at Employer’s Name. Mr. Smith has stated that he did not file a claim for unemployment benefits. Please take the necessary steps to invalidate this fraudulent claim and hold Mr. Smith harmless for any benefits that may have been paid to the criminals that victimized him. We also request that our account…
