States across the nation have seen a significant surge in unemployment benefit fraud, largely associated with identity theft. The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) has not had a breach of information stored by AZ DES; however, criminals are obtaining individuals’ personal information using phishing scams, previous corporate data breaches, and other tactics and using this stolen information to file for Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
AZ DES has issued a Fraud Toolkit with information on what to do if you or your employees have been a victim of identity theft fraud. This includes information on what to do if you receive:
- A Notice to Employer (UB-110 Form) for an employee who is still working or one who has never worked for you
- A current employee receives a Wage Statement, Certificate of Understanding, or Electronic
Payment Card for benefits they did not apply for - A current employee receives a 1099 for UI or PUA benefits they did not receive
This toolkit also outlines the steps that AZ DES is taking to prevent fraud and protect UI program integrity.
To review the Arizona Fraud Toolkit, click here: https://des.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/UI-Fraud-Toolkit-for-Employers.pdf?time=1614287761430