It has come to our attention that fraudulent unemployment claims are being filed using the social security numbers and names of some school district employees.

The Employment Security Department (ESD) has sent us the following information to share with you. Please note the additional steps you can take to protect yourself. Also attached to this email is information from Equifax on reporting fraud.

If a fraudster uses your identity to apply for benefits:

1. The fastest and best way to report it is to go to the Fraud page on the ESD website and follow the directions.
2. Check the page over the next few days for updates and new directions as we (ESD) ramp up our anti-fraud efforts. For example, we (ESD) will have a new secure form for people to submit their information.
3. In addition to reporting it to ESD, if this has happened to you, then your information has been previously stolen and you are a victim of identity theft. Two recommendations from the Washington State Patrol are:

• Go to the FTC identity theft website. This resource has the most current, detailed step by step process for reporting and protecting people from further victimization.
• Request your free credit reports and review them for other fraudulent activities.

Here’s what we know

ESD and HRMS have not experienced any data breach; fraudsters have not stolen the information from us. Instead, they are using information that they had previously stolen from other sources and using that to apply for unemployment benefits.

This type of “imposter fraud” isn’t new, nor is this unique to Washington state. We work year ’round to prevent it. We often find it either during the application process, during our routine practice of contacting employers to inform them of a former employee’s application for unemployment benefits or when routinely reaching out to claimants for more information.

What’s new is the volume of fraud. It’s on the rise all across the country, in large part because of the high volume of claims due to the COVID-19 crisis and the incremental amount of money thanks to the CARES Act.

The ESD is doing a number of things to combat unemployment claims fraud, including:

• Dramatically increasing the number of agents on the fraud hotline; 100 more of whom just started yesterday.
• Hiring more fraud investigators.
• Creating a more secure portal where victims can submit information to us.

More information that your members might want to know

• If someone is a victim of fraud, they will not have to repay the money.
• If someone is a victim of fraud and then needs to apply for benefits, they will still be able to do so.