Report and Prevent Fraud
Fraudulent activities are illegal and taken very seriously. Unemployment (UI) related fraud activities include:
- UI Benefits Fraud: This type of fraud involves individuals filing false claims and misreporting information to receive unemployment benefits to which they are not entitled.
- Fraudulent Employers: Some individuals may pose as employers to scam job seekers or exploit unemployment benefit systems.
- Debit Card Fraud: This type of fraud targets unemployment debit cards issued to unemployment claimants.
- Sharing your personal identity information: Sharing your social security number, date of birth, username, password or PIN with anyone, including family and friends, causes you to be financially responsible if unemployment fraud occurs.
Understanding these common fraud schemes and knowing how to report them helps protect individuals from becoming victims and ensures the integrity of the Alaska unemployment benefits program.
What happens to claimants who commit UI Fraud?
Unemployment benefits paid during the week(s) in which fraudulent information was submitted must be repaid, along with a 50% penalty. Additionally, the individual is disqualified from receiving future unemployment benefits. The period of disqualification is between six and 52 weeks.
In addition, fraudulent unemployment overpayments may be referred to the District Attorney or the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for criminal prosecution.
Unemployment Benefits Fraud
To safeguard against identity fraud, especially concerning fraudulent unemployment benefit claims, vigilance in protecting personal information is crucial. Regular monitoring of your credit reports and bank statements for any unusual activity is advised, along with the use of strong, unique passwords for online accounts. Sensitive details such as Social Security numbers or personal identification information should not be shared over unsecured channels or with unfamiliar individuals. Caution is needed to avoid phishing schemes that might attempt to extract such information. If identity compromise is suspected or unauthorized unemployment claims are noticed, it is important to report the situation immediately. Fraudulent unemployment claims should be reported to Alaska by contacting the UI fraud unit using the following contact information:
- Report unemployment fraud
- Email uifraud@alaska.gov
- Phone: (907) 269-4880 / Toll free: (877) 272-4635
- Fax (907) 269-4835
Debit Card Fraud
To protect against debit card fraud while receiving unemployment benefits, exercising caution with the card and personal information is essential. Sharing card details or PINs with anyone should be avoided, and regular monitoring of the balance for any unauthorized transactions is recommended. The card should be kept in a secure place, and vigilance is necessary against phishing attempts or fraudulent emails that may attempt to obtain card information. Unexpected calls or messages requesting card details should be avoided and not responded to. Any suspicious activity or lost cards should be reported promptly to US Bank at (855) 282-6161 or by following the steps in the ReliaCard Mobile App.
What's the big deal? The UI benefits I collect is my money I paid in to unemployment.
This is a common misconception by most claimants. Actually, the money used to pay Unemployment Insurance benefits is paid from the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. The UI Trust fund is comprised mostly of employer tax dollars. Fraudulently collecting UI benefits is essentially the same as stealing from Alaska employers and other Alaska employees.
Additional Resources for Fraud
- Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
- Identity Theft Central
- Federal Trade Commission
- Identity Theft Recovery Steps
- How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
