Unemployment Fraud Warnings Issued in Maine
Portland, Maine: A new wave of scammers is taking advantage of pandemic unemployment assistance programs to file fraudulent claims by using the personal information of other people, including Maine residents, warn state and federal officials.
United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey, and Maine Commissioner of Labor Laura Fortman issued the warning, urging Mainers to notify the Maine Department of Labor if they believe that someone has used their identity to fraudulently apply for or obtain unemployment benefits.
The online complaint form is available at https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/idtheft/ for those who suspect they have been victims of unemployment fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Maine Department of Labor, Maine Attorney General’s Office, Maine State Police, Maine State Treasurer, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI are working together to investigate and stop the fraudulent unemployment claims.
“Although perhaps not surprising, it is outrageous that criminals are capitalizing on the current emergency to file fraudulent unemployment claims using stolen identity information,” said U.S. Attorney Frank.
Maine Attorney General Frey added, “We will work with the Department of Labor to stop public funds from being released due to fraud, and we will coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the prosecution of those individuals who apply for or obtain public funds using stolen identities.”
Related Federal Cases
- Jermaine Winters, Tax Refund Fraud and Identity Theft, Chipley FL, … · Alabama
- Edward Williams, Check Fraud and Identity Theft, CT 2024 · Maine
- Gordon Daigle, Identity Theft for Fake ID, Epsom NH, 2023 · Washington
- Thomas E. Delahanty II, Election Fraud Crackdown, Maine, 2016 · New Mexico
- Gordon Daigle, Identity Theft, NH 2024 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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