Chief’s Column: Unemployment fraud cases continue to rise

If you have been reviewing our weekly logs, you’ve probably noticed that we continue to receive reports of fraudulent unemployment claims from residents. This is happening throughout the state with unfortunately, no end in sight. Because of this, I would like to repost this column published last November.

We have received several complaints regarding unemployment fraud claims. To ensure that your personal information is safe and any attempts to steal your identity are minimized, GPD would like to offer the following safety tips provided by the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA.) More information including forms and important contact numbers are available at: www.mass.gov/info-details/report-unemployment-benefits-fraud.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE A VICTIM OF FRAUD

If you believe your identity has been stolen and a fraudulent unemployment claim has been filed on your behalf, here’s some steps you can take to protect yourself:

1. File a police report with your local police department. Get a copy of the report that you can provide to creditors and credit agencies.

2. Change passwords on your email, banking, and other personal accounts

3. Make a list of credit card companies, banks, and other financial institutions where you do business. Tell them you are a victim of identity theft, and ask them to put a fraud alert on your account.

4. Get a copy of your credit report and dispute any fraudulent transactions. You can request credit reports online from the 3 major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion) or by calling (877) 322-8228.

5. Place a credit freeze with each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies. Call each of the credit reporting agencies at these phone numbers or visit their websites to freeze your credit.

a. Equifax: 800-349-9960 or freeze your credit online

b. Experian: 888-397-3742 or freeze your credit online

c. TransUnion: 888-909-8872 or freeze your credit online

6. Place a fraud alert on your credit file. You can do this by contacting just 1 of the credit agencies to add an alert with all 3 agencies.

7. Take notes about all conversations and keep copies of all records

NOTE: The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has indicated that it is imperative that victims of these unemployment fraud claims complete the online reporting form through the Mass.gov webpage. The unemployment fraud reports filed online will be sent to the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI for further criminal investigation.

Normand A. Crepeau, Jr.

Chief of Police