Consumer Protection Tips & Scam Alerts

Unemployment Insurance Fraud

The Attorney General’s Office has become aware that some individuals are filing false unemployment claims using social security numbers and other personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to others.

How do I report identity theft related to unemployment insurance?

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft related to unemployment insurance, including someone filing a false claim using your personal information, you can report the fraud to the New York State Department of Labor by submitting an online form, calling toll-free hotline at 1-888-598-2077, or by mail. The best way to contact the New York State Department of Labor is to fill out the online form.

In addition, you can take steps to protect your credit by filing an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Because this scam is perpetrated by gaining access to and using victims’ PII, individuals should be aware of the potential for identity theft. Identity theft is the unlawful use of an individual's PII to, for example, establish credit, make purchases, apply for loans, or, as in this case, to seek unemployment benefits. Click here for more specific information about how to protect your identity.

Visit the Attorney General’s Office for more information about how to protect your identity.

Tips to help protect New Yorkers from invasions of privacy and minimize the risks of falling victim to revenge porn:

Do not include identifying details in any intimate image or chat:

• Exclude your face and any identifying features, such as a unique tattoo or birthmark, in intimate images. Some users can keep their face off-screen in such images, while others can utilize a blurring or cropping feature.
• Exclude identifiable information in your image’s background, including anything with your name or your employer’s name or logo on it.
• Exclude identifiable information from your profile, such as your email address or the handles to different social media accounts. Some users even create separate email addresses or social media accounts to use only with dating profiles.

Use dating apps or websites that have safety features. While these features cannot prevent a recipient from recording the screen with a second device, they do offer some protection, including:

• Providing warnings that notify you if a recipient has taken a screenshot of an image you shared or of your chat history.
• An “unsend” option for pictures or messages.
• The ability to delete images or chats from a recipient’s messages.