State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) Fraud

As some of you may know, there has been an uptick in fraudulent unemployment claims throughout the state. With the influx of cases arising from shutdowns during the pandemic, state agencies have been flooded with claims and are trying to process them as quickly as possible. As a result, some claims are being falsely filed in order to take advantage of the situation. If you or your company believe that you are a victim of a fraudulent claim, there are steps you can take to help mitigate the damage.

First of all, items to watch for include:

• Mail from ADOL notifying you of a claim in your name when you have not filed an unemployment insurance claim,
• A 1099-G from ADOL stating you have income from SUI when you have not filed an unemployment claim,
• Text messages from ADOL asking to verify your account – ADOL does not use text messaging to confirm personal information, or
• A claim from ADOL for an employee that does not work for you.

If you suspect that an SUI claim has been filed with your identity:

• Visit the ADOL website and follow the instructions.
• Call 205.361.4524 after 5:00 p.m. to leave a message and a live person will return your call regarding your fraud claim.
• Visit IdentityTheft.gov for some helpful tips and watch your credit reports and banking records closely.
• Call your local police department and ask if you need to file a report – not all jurisdictions are filing police reports for SUI fraud due to the volume.

It is extremely important that you file a report as soon as possible if you suspect a fraudulent claim has been made in your name or filed with your company. If you have any questions, please visit the ADOL website or contact your Human Resources department.