Unemployment insurance fraud widespread
Apr. 19—A number of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims have been reported in the city and county this year, with scammers receiving thousands of dollars in benefits using other people's personal information.
The Owensboro Police Department has received 45 reports of unemployment insurance fraud since January, said Officer Andrew Boggess, OPD's public information officer.
The Daviess County Sheriff's Department has already received several reports of unemployment insurance fraud, and the scam has even hit department staff.
"We have employees who have been victims of that," said Major Barry Smith, the sheriff's office's chief deputy.
The department has received several reports of unemployment fraud this week, according to sheriff's department reports.
The state's unemployment system was shut for several days through last Monday due to an organized fraud effort. State officials did not return calls last week on how many fraud complaints have been reported across the state.
Reanna Smith-Hamblin, president and CEO of the Better Bureau of Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana, said unemployment fraud, like other scams, is often conducted by people overseas.
"It's another scam artist twist," Smith-Hamblin said.
Unemployment scams are happening all over the country, she said.
If a person is the victim of unemployment theft, that means a scammer has enough personal information to file a claim in the victim's name.
"The big thing is identity theft because someone has used your Social Security number to file for unemployment," Smith-Hamblin said last week.
"There are consumers who will call us and ask if it's a scam, but I have also heard from businesses that say, 'I've had several employees (targeted). What do I do?' "
"It can happen to anyone at any time," she said.
Preventing unemployment insurance fraud is much like preventing other kinds of identity theft. Smith-Hamblin said people should protect their personal information, such as Social Security numbers and birth dates. She said don't post personal information on the internet, such as COVID-19 vaccination cards.
"It has your name and birth date," Smith-Hamblin said.
If a person receives a letter about a claim they didn't apply for, the Better Business Bureau recommends reporting the claim to law enforcement, your local unemployment office, your employer, the Federal Trade Commission and the Internal Revenue Service.
People who are victims of unemployment fraud also need to check their credit reports. A person can receive three free credit reports each year, through www.annual creditreport.com.
"Check it each quarter if you can," Smith-Hamblin said. "It's a good thing to keep up with for sure, and keep up with your (financial) statements."
People who are struck by fraud also need to change bank and email passwords, as well as passwords for other personal accounts. Any funds received that a person didn't apply for should be reported.
"If you received a payment, don't use it," Smith-Hamblin said.
James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse
James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse
