As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy, scammers are capitalizing on the crisis to steal identities and claim fraudulent unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania.
According to a warning issued by Attorney General Shapiro and U.S. Attorney McSwain, fraudsters are using stolen identities to file claims for Pennsylvania Unemployment Assistance (PUA), a program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) as part of the Federal Stimulus.
The scammers are directing the funds to their own bank accounts, leaving the identity theft victims to discover the fraud when they receive an unexpected check or direct deposit. Attorney General Shapiro and U.S. Attorney McSwain are urging Pennsylvanians to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
The DLI has reported that individuals are filing claims with stolen identities, and the authorities are taking steps to prevent the thieves from receiving the stolen funds. However, victims of identity theft may still receive a check or direct deposit for which they never applied, and it is essential that they report this to the authorities immediately.
If you receive a paper check for unemployment benefits in the mail but did not file for such benefits in Pennsylvania, do not cash the check. Likewise, if you receive a direct deposit for unemployment benefits but did not file for such benefits in Pennsylvania, do not use the funds. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry website contains detailed instructions for returning the money.
The investigations are being handled by the Coronavirus Fraud Working Group, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and including the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the United States Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other agencies. The authorities are urging anyone with information about these scams to come forward and report it to the authorities.
As Attorney General Shapiro stated, “Scammers are working overtime during this crisis and trying to take advantage of the nearly 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians who have lost a job. We will not let anyone ripoff the public and the millions who are out of work.” U.S. Attorney McSwain added, “Fraud like this causes great harm to many citizens at a time when they are most vulnerable… My Office will not tolerate it, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that such fraud scams are stopped and punished.”
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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