Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak released a statement last week, reminding state residents to heed the warning signs of a widespread identity theft ring targeting COVID-19 unemployment compensation, primarily the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
“Pennsylvania takes unemployment benefits fraud very seriously and first warned the public about this national scam in May,” Oleksiak said. “These fraudsters are using personal information previously stolen from sources outside of commonwealth agencies to file for PUA benefits. Many Pennsylvanians are not even aware their identities were stolen in the past until they receive correspondence or a debit card from our UC office. I urge everyone to remain vigilant, recognize the scam warning signs, and know what to do if you become a victim.”
More than 4,000 fraudulent PUA claims have been discovered in Pennsylvania.
Warning signs of the scam include receiving unemployment benefits when the recipient did not apply for it; a stranger asks to use your bank account to deposit their unemployment assistance; a stranger tells you their unemployment assistance check or debit card was mailed to you by mistake; a stranger offers to help you file for unemployment benefits for a fee; or a stranger tells you that you are entitled to unemployment assistance and requests your personal identifying information.
Oleksiak urges anyone who sees these warning signs to contact the Department of Labor & Industry as well as local police.