Fraud within the Ohio unemployment insurance system is widespread, with tens of thousands of fraudulent claims reported monthly. As fraudulent unemployment claims increase, so does the likelihood that someone in your organization will be impacted by this fraud.
Discovering Ohio Unemployment Fraud
Many victims of unemployment insurance fraud are unaware that criminals have applied for benefits in their name, and only discover that they were a victim upon experiencing on of the following:
- The rejection of a lawful unemployment insurance claim because a fraudulent claim has already been filed in the victim’s name.
- The receipt of an unsolicited determination letter regarding an unemployment claim filed under the victim’s name.
- Notification by the victim’s employer that a claim has been filed in the victim’s name.
What should employers do in the case of Ohio Unemployment Fraud?
From an employer standpoint, it is imperative to immediately take the following steps to address a fraudulent unemployment claim on behalf of one of your employees:
- Report the fraud through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services hotline at 833-658-0394, or through their secure online reporting portal.
- Respond immediately to a Request for Separation requests by writing “fraud/identity theft” in response.
- Alert the impacted employee of the fraud and advise that the employee should run a free credit check to learn whether the fraud/identity theft is isolated to the unemployment claim, or there are other instances of fraud/identity theft as well.
What should you do if you’re a victim of Ohio Unemployment Fraud?
Individuals who have been impacted by unemployment fraud should take the following action to report the fraud and protect themselves:
- Use this form to report that someone has used their personal information to claim unemployment benefits
- Take steps to project their identity. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has a wealth of resources available to individuals on their website.
- Follow IRS guidance to taxpayers regarding unemployment benefit identity theft.
- Review their credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Place a free one-year fraud alert on their credit reports.
Additional resources are available to both employers and individuals at https://unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov/IdentityTheft/.
