Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionIdentity theft is a serious crime that occurs when someone else uses your personally identifiable information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card information, driver’s license number, or other identifying information without your consent. Most of the time, this stolen information is used to obtain credit, merchandise, or services in the name of the victim. It can also be used to file for unemployment compensation (UC) benefits.
The Department of Labor & Industry’s (L&I) security vendor ID.me has identified additional phishing attempts and fraud scams leveraging social media, text messaging, and email to lure unsuspecting individuals into providing personal information so that the scammers can claim their identity for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
The most recent scams include but are not limited to telling individuals they’ve won contests, won a cash prize, being eligible for monetary award for applying for benefits or offering an alternative or “faster” application or mobile app to apply for regular unemployment or PUA benefits.
This is just the latest of attempts from scammers to use personal information to apply for benefits, similar to the large fraud attempt in June in which L&I mailed the Notice of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim Filed to all claimants in the PUA system to provide further guidance if they did not submit a PUA application. This guidance still applies if you believe you have been targeted in the latest phishing attempts or scams.
If you were a victim of ID Theft, it is very important to report the PUA fraud activity to the Department and return the money. Doing so will remove these fraudulent payments from being reported as income on the end of the year 1099G distribution.
Please report PUA fraud activity by following the instructions:
We also suggest you report the ID theft to your local police department, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Victims of ID theft who spent the money or delayed returning it are encouraged to contact the Department immediately. Otherwise, you are responsible to report it on your tax returns, and you may receive a fraudulent overpayment in the future.
PUA earnings received by those who are receiving other state paid benefits, such as Department of Human Services or disability benefits are responsible to file PUA earnings on their yearly tax returns and are responsible for any negative impacts it may have on their other state-paid benefits.
If you provided your Personal Identifying Information (PII) to someone to file for benefits on your behalf, you are still fully responsible to report PUA earnings on your yearly tax returns.
Claimant UC fraud can include knowingly submitting false information to obtain or increase UC benefits; continuing to collect benefits when knowing oneself to be ineligible; or intentionally not reporting wages or income while collecting full UC benefits. Additionally, identity theft may result in claimant UC fraud that is not the fault of the identity theft victim.
If you have reason to believe someone has applied for UC benefits, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), using your personally identifiable information, or if you have any concerns about potential fraud you can:
Report suspected identity theft online if you suspect someone is using your personally identifiable information to file for benefits.
Report unemployment claims fraud if you are aware of individuals collecting unemployment benefits illegally.
Call our PA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469.
File a police report with the municipality in which you resided at the time the unemployment benefits in question were paid. A copy of the police report must be provided to the Office of Unemployment Compensation.
If you are a victim of identity theft, please visit the Federal Trade Commission website to learn how to start a recovery plan.
If you are concerned that your personal information has been stolen and want to protect your identity when filing a federal tax return, you can request an Identity Protection Pin (IP PIN) from the IRS.
An Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using a taxpayer’s Social Security number. The IP PIN is known only to the taxpayer and the IRS, and this step helps the IRS verify the taxpayer’s identity when they file their electronic or paper tax return.
Anyone who receives a paper check in the mail and did not file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania should not cash the checks. Cashing the checks knowing that you have not applied for PUA or any other UC program may be deemed fraud and repayment will be required. The checks should be returned to:
Department of Treasury Comptroller’s Office
Attn: Mark Accorsi
Room 113, Finance BuildingHarrisburg, PA 17120
Anyone who receives a direct deposit and did not file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania should not use the funds. Using the funds knowing that you have not applied for PUA or any other UC program may be deemed fraud and repayment will be required. The funds should be returned to:
Department of Labor and Industry
651 Boas St, Room 500Harrisburg, PA 17121
Payments must be made by personal check, cashier's check, certified check, or money order to the "PA UC Fund". Please include a brief signed statement with the reason you are sending in the payment and include your printed name, address, last four of your social security number, phone number and email address.
If you are a victim of identity theft that has resulted in someone unlawfully applying for benefits using your information, you will still be able to apply for unemployment benefits if necessary.
L&I’s anti-fraud division remains committed to preventing, identifying, and blocking scams and is continuing its aggressive efforts to do so, including:
In general, take these steps to protect yourself against unemployment scams:
Never give out your personal information over email or text message.
Don’t wire money, and always ignore the following requests:
Communications related to your UC benefits from someone asking for money;
Someone who says they can help you file for your UC benefits for a fee; and
Anyone claiming to work for L&I who says they need a fee to complete your application.
Don’t open or respond to unsolicited emails or text messages.
Never give out your personal information on websites or social media channels – especially those that claim they can help you apply for UC benefits. Third parties can’t apply for your benefits.
Don’t trust or rely on UC info from unofficial websites – always visit www.uc.pa.gov for Pennsylvania unemployment program information.
L&I may need to call you. If you file a claim, save the following unemployment phone numbers to your phone so you know you’re receiving a legitimate call from L&I:
We will ask you for some personally identifiable information, including the last four digits of your Social Security number, when we call you, but we will not ask for your full SSN unless you call us.
If you are a victim of identity theft, report to L&I, your local police department, and the Federal Trade Commission:
Report suspected identity theft online if you suspect someone is using your personal information to file for benefits
Report unemployment claims fraud if you are aware of individuals collecting unemployment benefits illegally
Call our PA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469.
File a police report with the municipality in which you resided at the time the unemployment benefits in question were paid. A copy of the police report must be provided to the Office of Unemployment Compensation.
The US Department of Labor is recommending that victims of ID Theft should be reporting their information to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF). You may also report it to the Federal Trade Commission and start a recovery plan.
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and review your credit reports periodically to ensure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.
Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Request your free credit reports and review them for other fraudulent activities.
Anyone who receives a paper check in the mail and did not file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania should not cash the checks. Cashing the checks knowing that you have not applied for PUA or any other UC program may be deemed fraud and repayment will be required. The checks should be returned to:
Department of Treasury Comptroller’s Office
Attn: Mark Accorsi
Room 113, Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Anyone who receives a direct deposit and did not file for unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania should not use the funds. Using the funds knowing that you have not applied for PUA or any other UC program may be deemed fraud and repayment will be required. The funds should be returned to:
Department of Labor and Industry
651 Boas St, Room 500
Harrisburg, PA 17121
Payments must be made by personal check, cashier's check, certified check, or money order to the "PA UC Fund". Please include a brief signed statement with the reason you are sending in the payment and include your printed name, address, last four of your social security number, phone number and email address.
It is the Department’s goal to prevent any income that you did not receive or file for from being reported under your SSN. We are working diligently to process returned payments, debit cards, checks; return a significant number of fraud calls; and investigate identity theft complaints.
If you were a victim and payments were issued to you but you returned the UC debit card, checks, or direct deposits that you received, you should NOT receive a 1099G. However, if you DO receive a 1099G and believe you shouldn’t have because you’ve returned the funds and submitted an identity theft complaint, we ask for your patience while we work through our increased workload due to the pandemic.
If you were a victim of identity theft but no benefits were paid on the claim, you should NOT receive a 1099G. If a claim was opened and paid using your information and you did not receive the funds and therefore were unable to return them to the department, you should file an identity theft complaint here. Upon completion of the investigation, if it is found that you were a true victim of identity theft, a revised 1099G will be issued to you.
For more information on what you should do if you believe you were a victim of identity theft, refer to the “What should I do if I’m a victim of identity theft?” FAQ.
The victim should not wait for a revised 1099 to file his/her taxes. Per the IRS, the victim can move forward with filing their taxes, reporting only their true income and not fraudulent income reported in their name. The victim does not need to complete the additional form normally required by the IRS for reporting identity theft.
Both claimants and employers can commit fraud against the unemployment system. The most common types of claimant fraud include knowingly submitting false information to obtain benefits or increase the amount of those benefits; continuing to collect benefits when knowing oneself to be ineligible; intentionally not reporting wages or income while collecting full benefits; or continuing to collect benefits after returning to work full-time.
The most common types of unemployment tax fraud by employers include paying wages under the table; failing to register as an employer with L&I; failing to report all employees or wages paid; and assisting an employee in filing a fraudulent claim for UC benefits.
Recently, L&I’s anti-fraud division discovered attempts by scammers to use personally identifiable information obtained from sources outside L&I to apply for COVID-19 unemployment benefits, specifically Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). L&I will be sending additional information to all claimants in the PUA system via U.S. mail on Tuesday, May 26 to provide further guidance if they did not submit a PUA application.
The department uses a variety of techniques to uncover fraud, including cross-matching records with the Social Security Administration and the state and federal lists of new hires. L&I also investigates tips from the public.
Penalties may include criminal prosecution with fines; required repayment of fraudulently collected benefits; the offset of federal income tax refunds to collect the debt owed to L&I; or the assessment of penalty weeks against the future receipt of UC benefits.