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Third Party Fraud Claim Notification

Following the Department’s mass mailing of the UC-548 “Third Party Fraud Claim Notification” which was conducted on February 27-28, 2024, determinations have now been issued on the Third Party Fraud Claims referenced in this letter. Please keep these determinations for your records. These determinations do not mean new fraud has been detected, they were done to account for any improper payments as a result of identity theft or claims takeover going back to 2020. IMPORTANT: If you receive one of these determinations you are not responsible for the corresponding overpayment, and it is not associated with your actual social security number.

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Did you receive a 1099-G Form when you did NOT file for unemployment benefits? Learn more.

Report Fraud & Identity Theft

L&I is committed to maintaining the integrity of the Unemployment Trust Fund. Our department conducts many types of fraud investigations and audits throughout the year. Unemployment claims are reviewed to ensure the accuracy of benefit payments to claimants, while businesses employing workers in Pennsylvania are audited to ensure compliance with the reporting and taxation provisions of the PA Unemployment Compensation (UC) law.

Unemployment Compensation Fraud is a very serious matter. L&I is committed to preventing, identifying, and blocking scams and is continuing its aggressive efforts to do so, including:

Cross-matching data with other state agencies and across the country to detect fraud activity.
Working with the U.S. Department of Labor to prevent and detect fraudulent activities related to UC.
Comparing earnings reported by workers and their employers.
Auditing claims.

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Fraud Reporting Tool

Detecting and preventing unemployment compensation fraud is a priority for our agency. Claims are audited regularly to ensure benefits were paid according to state and federal law.

We encourage Pennsylvanians to remain vigilant and to report fraud or any potential concerns of fraud to the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I).

Report Fraud Here

Examples of Fraud

Some examples of fraud include:

Failing to report money earned while collecting benefits.
Being dishonest about why you are no longer working for a previous employer.
Saying you are able and available to work when you are ill, traveling, or otherwise unable or unavailable to work.
Reporting that you looked for work when you did not make valid work search efforts.
Allowing another person to collect benefits for you.
Stealing someone's identity to file for unemployment benefits in their name.

The following can be warning signs of a possible scam:

For workers – receiving any type of correspondence that you filed an unemployment claim when you did not file a claim for benefits.
For employers – if you notice a claim has been filed for one or more of your employees who are still working.

Protect Against Fraud

Fraudsters are using Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information to apply for and receive unemployment compensation benefits. In many situations, the victims are unaware that their personal information has been compromised.

L&I's security vendor ID.me has identified phishing attempts and fraud scams leveraging social media, text messaging, and email to lure unsuspecting individuals into providing personal information so that scammers can claim their identity.

In general, take these steps to protect yourself against unemployment scams:

Never give out your personal information over email or text message.
Do not 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 your benefits for a fee; and
Anyone claiming to work for L&I who says they need a fee to complete your application.

3. Do not open or respond to unsolicited emails or text messages.

The UC SMS system is only used to alert claimants when a UC representative will be calling.

4. 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.

For more information and tips on how you can protect yourself online, please visit the National Cybersecurity Alliance website.

5. Do not trust or rely on UC information from unofficial websites – always visit www.uc.pa.gov for Pennsylvania unemployment compensation program information.

6. If you file a claim, save the number to your phone (888-313-7284) so you know you're receiving a legitimate call from L&I.

We will ask you for some person identification information including the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN) if we call you, but we will not ask for your full SSN unless you call us.

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More Information

For additional information, visit the Claimant or Employer fraud pages.