As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the Maryland Department of Labor (DLLR) has seen a dramatic increase in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims. Some County Government employees have been impacted by fraudulent unemployment claims filed using the employee’s social security number.
OHRM continually reviews and verifies unemployment claims as they are received from DLLR and notifies impacted employees it becomes aware of through their Agency Human Resource Liaisons. Additional information regarding Unemployment Insurance fraud can be found on the DLLR website.
If you become a victim of identity theft, the Prince George’s County Office of Human Resources Management and the Police Department Financial Crimes Unit recommend taking the following steps:
- NOTIFY your Agency Human Resources Liaison of the fraud if they are not already aware.
- MAKE A REPORT
- DLLR: Submit a report with Maryland Department of Labor to report the fraud. Download the form online here or call the Claimant Benefit Fraud hotline at 1-800-492-6804. On the form you will need to select "Other" and indicate that you were notified of a fraudulent claim, as well as provide your contact information on the bottom of the form. Once the form is completed, please e-mail it to ui.fraud@maryland.gov. Please note that is it not recommended that you call DLLR for assistance, as they typically do not have enough staff to handle the volume of calls, so filing your report online is the best approach.
- Police Report: Call the non-emergency number for your local police station, as well as to the police station where the fraud took place to file a report. The non-emergency number for the Prince George’s County Police Department is 301-352-1200. The most effective way to file a report is to request that an officer come to your home to take your report when you call the non-emergency phone number. Please be sure to have the following information available when you file your report:
- A copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report
- A government-issued photo ID
- Proof of your address, such as a mortgage statement or utility bill
- Any proof you have of the theft.
- US Department of Labor: File a report online with US Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s OIG Hotline.
- MONITOR YOUR CREDIT, as well as your families’ credit. At a minimum create a fraud alert, (which is good for 1 year), for free. If you get a credit freeze (which is recommended) this is free.
- Please refer to the credit bureau information on page 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Identify Theft Recovery Plan booklet available online here.
- Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov.
- Request your free credit reports via www.annualcreditreport.com and review them for other fraudulent activities.
- CREATE AN ACCOUNT through the Social Security Administration online at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Creation of an account will ensure that you are aware of any use of your social security number. The Prince George’s County Police Department Financial Crimes Unit and Federal Agencies have found through past investigations that your personal information/social security number can be used to create an account and apply for benefits if it is not already being monitored.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please contact the Sgt. Andrea Sheehan with the Prince George’s County Police Department’s OIC, Financial Crimes, Cyber Crime, and Pawn Unit via email at ajsheehan@co.pg.md.us.