Unemployment Fraud Notice

May 28, 2020

Since the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a recent increase in unemployment claims which has been taken advantage of by  criminals. State and federal officials have received multiple reports of fraudsters using sensitive personal information obtained from previous data breaches to file for unemployment benefits on behalf of Maine residents.

If you believe that someone has used your identity to file a fraudulent unemployment claim, please notify us immediately so we can put a note on your account. You should also notify the Maine Department of Labor as soon as possible: https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/idtheft

To protect yourself from scams, here are few proactive steps you can take to mitigate your risk:

• Do not share personal information such as your Social Security Number, bank account number, or debit/credit card number, via email or over the phone.
• Keep a close eye on your bank accounts and check regularly for suspicious activity. If you receive unemployment funds that you did not apply for, call us immediately.
• To prevent unauthorized access to your credit report, consider placing a freeze on your credit by visiting each of the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). You can also request to be notified any time someone attempts to establish new credit in your name.
• Do not respond to phone calls or text messages from unknown or suspicious numbers.
• Be cautious when clicking on links or attachments in emails. If you were not expecting the email, do not open any link or attachment in an email from a source you don't trust or are unsure of.

For more information on reporting identity theft and developing a recovery plan, please visit https://www.identitytheft.gov/. and be sure to review the Maine Department of Labor information below: