Fraud Alert: Unemployment Identity Theft

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The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has been made aware of a high number of fraudulent claims regarding Unemployment Benefits issued through the state of Ohio. The Gahanna Division of Police is also experiencing a high number of these calls from concerned residents. In most cases we are the first line reporting agency on fraud however the validity and investigation of any unemployment claim is handled exclusively by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).

A local police report is not necessary for unemployment fraud as there is no mechanism in place for the Gahanna Division of Police or the Ohio Attorney General to contact ODJFS on your behalf to either start or expedite the investigative process. Gahanna residents reporting unemployment related fraud will be deferred to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) website to file a fraud claim which is the fastest means of notification and initiation of a review on your behalf.

If you have received one or more of the following and you did not file for Unemployment Benefits you may have had a fraudulent claim made in your name:

  • A 2020 1099-G tax form for Ohio Unemployment.
  • Correspondence regarding Ohio Unemployment.
  • Correspondence with a PIN from Ohio Unemployment.
  • A US Bank Card for Ohio Unemployment.
  • Notification from your employer regarding Unemployment Benefits that you did not apply for.

. If you received one of these notifications and did not file for unemployment you should follow these steps, in order: The following information is shared from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office

  1. Contact ODJFS immediately.

You should report unemployment benefit identity theft to ODJFS by completing an online form here or by visiting www.Unemployment.Ohio.Gov. You will need to enter personal information such as your Social Security number and your driver’s license number. If you do not have access to the internet, you can call ODJFS at 877-644-6562; please note wait times may be long.

Once you’ve successfully filed your report, ODJFS will send a confirmation email, investigate the claim, and issue a correction to the IRS if fraud is determined.

  1. Check your credit report.

Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com or call 877-322-8228 to do so. A credit report will show all credit-related accounts open in your name, such as mortgages, credit cards and car loans. Credit reports are free through April 2021, and after that date, you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the main three credit reporting agencies. On your report, look for accounts and inquiries that you do not recognize.

If after checking your credit report, you find accounts that do not belong to you, you are encouraged to contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Identity Theft Unit (800-282-0515 or www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov).

  1. Consider placing an Initial Fraud Alert on your credit report.

A fraud alert makes it harder for an identity thief to open credit accounts in your name and lasts for one year. You need to contact only one of the credit agencies listed below to place the alert; the one you contact will share the information with the other two. The agencies are:

There is no charge to place an Initial Fraud Alert.

  1. Consider placing a permanent Security Freeze on your credit report.

A Security Freeze will prevent others from opening credit in your name; such a freeze is free to place and is permanent. (You must pause or end it to open a new account.) Unlike an Initial Fraud Alert, for a Security Freeze, you must contact all three of the credit reporting agencies. Use the contact information listed above to do so.

The following websites may be helpful for those fraud victims dealing with tax issues related to receiving a fraudulent 1099-G for Unemployment Benefits: