Gloucester County has been made aware of an uptick in reports of phony unemployment claims.
As a result, we are urging the public to report anything suspicious to the appropriate agency, as well as to local law enforcement officials, if required.
“A common scam that we are seeing right now involves someone filing for unemployment using your information,” said Commissioner Director Robert M. Damminger. “You can receive notice that someone has filed for unemployment in your name a few different ways, including receiving paperwork in the mail from the unemployment office, or your work might notify you that someone has made a claim with your information.”
Across the nation, fraudsters have been applying for unemployment benefits using stolen identities that were obtained in data breaches that occurred outside of state government.
The State has implemented an identity verification system called ID.ME to stop the claims from being payed out if there was a previous fraud attempt.
“Prior to paying any claims, your unemployment office will make you verify your identity through ID.ME. This can be a tedious, intensive process but it’s very important in order to protect your information and to receive your funds,” said Commissioner Heather Simmons.
If you receive a call from your employer, paperwork, or text asking for any information regarding unemploymentwe encourage you to report the fraud attempt to your local police station.
You can also report unemployment fraud in New Jersey online or by calling (609) 777-4304. You do not have to identify yourself when you contact the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
For more information or to contact the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development please visit https://www.myunemployment.nj.gov/help/contact-us/reportfraud/ for additional information.