We have identified that you have an active associate for whom we have received an unemployment request but has not personally filed a claim for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits. Our office has filed a response with the state workforce agency to advise that this individual is an active employee who has not filed a claim for benefits. This should result in the claim being locked and forwarded to the fraud unit for further investigation. We will also monitor your account to ensure there are no erroneous charges associated with this claim.
It is recommended that you provide the below information and advise the associate to take the following steps to ensure they remediate their unemployment fraud issue:
- Contact his/her state agency on their own to report that their identity has been used to claim UI benefits. The associate can find the specific contact information using the state contact guide found here: https://support.thomas-and-company.com/hc/en-us/articles/360059003794.
- Report the UI fraud through the Federal Trade Commission website (https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/unemploymentinsurance).
- Contact your bank and credit card companies.
- Communicate with the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central).
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- There is no requirement to file a Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. A Form 14039 should be filed only if the taxpayers' e-filed tax return is rejected because a duplicate return with their Social Security number is already on file or if the IRS instructs them to file a Form 14039.
- Taxpayers who were victims of an unemployment benefits identity theft scheme should consider opting into the IRS Identity Protection PIN program. An IP PIN is a six-digit number that helps prevent thieves from filing federal tax returns in the names of identity theft victims. The IP PIN is a voluntary program open to any taxpayer who can verify his or her identity. See details at Get an IP PIN.
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- Contact all three of the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to place a freeze on your credit report.
- If you would like assistance on your UI Fraud claim Thomas & Company has partnered with Aura Identity Guard (https://thomas-and-company.com/ui-fraud/) to provide a low cost service to help our clients’ employees address UC fraud. Aura provides a new UC Fraud White Glove Service to help protect your employees and assist them in addressing UC fraud issues. Aura can:
- Resolve UC fraud with the assistance of a dedicated Case Manager.
- Determine the severity of the identity theft.
- Potentially identify the cause and how their identity was stolen.
- Provide identity and credit monitoring.
- Reduce the possibility of future fraud events.
- Provide ongoing protection from fraud to help achieve personal and financial goals, like buying or renting a home, paying for education, and saving for retirement.
For more information about unemployment claim fraud go to our website (https://support.thomas-and-company.com/) for access to fraud related FAQs, our UI Fraud Webinar and to submit any additional questions you may have.