BUFFALO, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Labor says they have prevented criminals from stealing more than $12 billion in unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 4.6 million New York residents have collected unemployment benefits since the pandemic started, totaling more than $81 billion.
The state says they identified over 1 million fraudulent, unemployment benefit claims.
The labor department says they will continue to identify and prevent fraud and partner with law enforcement to hold criminals accountable.
“Our Office of Special Investigations is aggressively deploying advanced resources, from artificial intelligence to tools like ID.me, to fight this fraud,” said New York State Department of Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “While our investigators are always one step ahead of stopping these criminals who are attempting to steal unemployment benefits that provide a lifeline to New Yorkers, we also need the public’s help in reporting anything that looks suspicious. We are urging them to refer to the tips in this release to protect themselves against fraud and to help us in our efforts to catch these fraudsters.
If you receive official communication from the NYS DOL about unemployment benefits you did not apply for, you may be a victim of fraud and identity theft. The communication may have come in the form of emails, text messages, letters, debit cards, and/or tax forms received in the mail.
If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, you should report the unemployment insurance fraud to the NYS Labor Department at on.ny.gov/uifraud, and suspected identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). https://www.identitytheft.gov/.
Once a report is filed, the NYS DOL will shut down the fraudulent claim and no more benefits will be paid.
2 On Your Side has repeatedly tried to interview the NYS DOL Commissioner regarding concerns with unemployment insurance claims since last May. Our requests have yet to be responded to. We were given an opportunity to participate in a phone interview, but only about the topic of preventing fraud and we had to submit the questions ahead of time.