Mountlake Terrace Police Sgt. Scott King provides an overview of what to do if your identity was stolen by those fraudulently applying for unemployment benefits. And here are more specific tips:
1) Create a paper trial for future reference. Keep a file folder or journal documenting the incident and your reports, including case numbers. This file should also include notes, copies of emails and other documentation. Such a file will help you address identity issues or find inaccuracies on your credit history later.
2) Notify your employer’s human resources department.
3) Contact the State Employment Security Department by calling 800-246-9763, or use their online form at Here’s the information you’ll need so they can verify your identity:
– The last four digits of your Social Security number
– Your date of birth
– Your address
– Your current phone numberInformation on how you learned a a claim was filed on your behalf
4) File a nonemergency police report with the Mountlake Terrace Police Department.
5) Notify the three major credit bureaus: Experian (1-888-397-3742), TransUnion (1-800-680-7289) and Equifax (1-888-766-0008). Tell them a fraudulent unemployment claim was made using your identity, and provide the case number from your police report.
6) Get free credit reports by visiting annualcreditreport.com or calling 1-877-322-8228. You should check your credit activity at least once a year. Anyone who is a victim of identity theft can check it monthly if desired.
7) Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). File a short report with the FTC and give them the case number from your local police report.
8) To help prevent criminals from creating an account using your identity, you should also consider setting up an IRS account with your Social Security number. You can also lock your Social Security number to guard against IRS tax fraud.
What about if your identity was not stolen but unemployment is investigating and making it so my family starves and goes homeless? I’m not getting my unemployment and haven’t for 2 weeks now. Why is this the time to stop payments for the states own ignorance? I’m not being medled with, well I wasnt but now the state is making my family suffer, for their “investigation”
The problem the state unemployment system has is that they set up a system that had little identity checking in the name of fairness. Nigerian scammers saw the weakness and took advantage. Now the state is going to an easiest fix… simply claim a large percentage of recipients are in error, demand more info and threaten legal action to get the money back. Basically trying to scare off the fraudulent thinking that if you have a legitimate claim you will keep trying, provide the added information being requested and get your money.
The only thing I can suggest is keep hitting the states website until you get through, update your information and keep checking back until they reactivate your account.