BOSTON (WHDH) - Criminals across America who are in possession of stolen information have been attempting to file large amounts of illegitimate claims through the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance system during the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Wednesday.
As a result of the jump in illegitimate claims, the DUA has started implementing additional identity verification measures that will temporarily delay the payment timeframe for many unemployment claims in Massachusetts, state officials said in a news release.
Certain unemployment claimants may now be asked to provide additional identity information in order to verify the validity of their claim.
“Protecting the integrity of the unemployment system and ensuring benefits are going only to valid claimants is a top priority of the Department of Unemployment Assistance,” Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta said. “While the program integrity measures we are taking will, unfortunately, mean that some claimants will experience temporary delays in payment, we believe these steps are necessary to respond to this unemployment scam. We are working rapidly to respond to this scheme and urge individuals who may have had a false unemployment claim filed in their name to contact the Department.”
Nicole Corbett, 29, told 7NEWS that she received an official letter from the DUA stating that she was eligible to receive more than $10,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits over 39 weeks.
Corbett was left baffled by the letter because she is employed as a physics teacher at Abbington High School and she never filled out an application.
“I did a little bit of digging and it looked like it was actually part of a nationwide scam,” she said.
The United States Secret Service is actively investigating a ring of Nigerian hackers who are believed to be behind the fraudulent claims, according to the New York Times.
Corbett said she learned of other victims when she filed a police report on Tuesday.
“A couple of relatives and police officers had this letter show up,” she explained.
Bay State residents who believe they may have had a false unemployment claim filed using their identity are urged to utilize the Department of Unemployment Assistance fraud contact form at mass.gov/unemployment-fraud or to call the DUA customer service department at 877-626-6800.
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