Orange County District Attorney David M.
Hoovler, on February 26, 2021, issued a warning to Orange County residents
about fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits, claims made by fraudsters
using other people’s social security numbers. Orange County has recently been
seeing an uptick in that type of fraudulent claim.
Frequently, scammers come into possession
of other’s social security numbers, and use those numbers to file claims for
unemployment benefits, among other things. As a result, aside from fraudulent
unemployment claims, scammers often have fraudulent credit cards issued to them
in the victims’ names, scammers can raid victims bank accounts, victims can
receive bills for goods and services that they did not purchase, and a whole
host of other financial consequences may occur to victims.
If you believe that a scammer has
fraudulently filed for unemployment benefits in your name, notify your
employer, and notify the New York State Department of Labor’s Fraud Unit online
at webapps.labor.ny.gov/dews/ui/fraud/report-fraud.shtm
In addition, if you believe that you are a
victim of identity theft, you can report that to the Federal Trade Commission online at identitytheft.gov/
“The unscrupulous
will stop at nothing to make an illegal buck,” said District Attorney Hoovler,
“especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. Identity theft remains a significant
problem, whether it shows up in unemployment insurance fraud or in other types
of scams. I urge all of Orange County’s residents to keep a close eye on their
financial matters, so that they can be sure they aren’t victims of identity theft.
Check your credit reports regularly. Pay attention to any mail you get from
financial institutions or from the government, mail that might be a red flag
that your identity has been stolen. And, above all, don’t share personal
information with anyone you don’t know and trust, especially online. Taking
care with your finances is an important way to help minimize the risk of
identity theft.”
Editor’s Note:
Based on information posted on Facebook, the issues identified by the Orange
County District Attorney, is a countrywide issue.
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