The first thing you should do is to notify your HR department that an unemployment claim has been fraudulently filed in your name. We will work with your HR department to notify the state that this is not a valid claim and stop the payment of benefits.
In addition, you should contact the State Workforce Agency to report potential fraud on your behalf and the state will notify you on what actions need to be taken next. Once a state has confirmed that fraud has occurred, they will disassociate the UI benefits fraudulently paid from the 1099-G form. Please consult with a tax professional on how to proceed if your case has not yet been classified as confirmed fraud.
We encourage you to review the Federal Trade Commission website (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft) for additional information and guidance related to identity theft. Recommended actions include, but are not limited to:
- Contact the state agency to report that your identity has been used to claim UI benefits. You can find the specific contact information using the state contact guide found here: https://support.thomas-and-company.com/hc/en-us/articles/360059003794.
- Contact your bank and credit card companies.
- Communicate with the IRS and complete the form associated with identity theft.
- Contact all three credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to place a freeze on your credit reports to further protect your identity during the investigation.
Identity Theft Protection programs may also be available to you through your employer. If you are not currently enrolled or a program is not offered by your employer, we have partnered with Aura Identity Guard, a leader in identity theft protection, to provide you protection for a low monthly rate. Aura is unique in that you will be assigned a dedicated Case Manager as a single point of contact to assist with:
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- Contacting the state workforce agency to help resolve the UI Fraud claim.
- Determining if you have been a victim of other identity theft and help you resolve it.
- Providing ongoing protection from fraud to help achieve personal and financial goals.
For more information about Aura Identity Guard, please visit (identityguard.com/thomasco).