Nevada Unemployment Division: Fraudulent claims targeting state employees
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 08/17/2016 - 7:04pm
Several fraudulent “imposter” claims have been filed through the state's unemployment agency using personal identifiable information of Nevada employees, the director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation announced Wednesday.
There has not been a breach detected within the unemployment program or within any other state system, said Don Soderberg, DETR director. However claims are being filed for unemployment benefits on behalf of state employees who are not aware of the claims and are still employed, he said.
DETR is actively working with the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General during this investigation, he said. Because this is an ongoing fraud investigation, specific details about the nature of the scheme cannot be released, Soderberg said.
The Carson City Sheriff's Office has handled a number of state employee fraud cases, according to those familiar with the investigation.
Soderberg noted there are a number of other states that are experiencing the same type of imposter claim scheme.
“We take very seriously illegal activity affecting our unemployment insurance program and are deeply concerned about individuals impacted,” said Soderberg. “Our fraud detection unit moved quickly to mitigate the circumstances surrounding this scheme. We will continue to work with the Department of Labor and the Nevada Department of Administration in preventing any further fraudulent activity. We encourage anyone who suspects that their information has been compromised to alert appropriate authorities.”
The agency has listed actions and resources that can be used to help individuals who have had their personal identifying information compromised. While these resources cannot guarantee there are no further issues, they can provide helpful tools to combat future usage of your personal identifying information, the agency said.
1. File a police report with your local jurisdiction: File an Identity Theft or Personal Identifiable Information Complaint alleging that your personal information has been compromised and used to file a UI claim. You should

advise your local law enforcement agency that this is a “courtesy” report and request a copy of the report and retain that copy in your personal records.
2. Contact the Federal Trade Commission: The FTC can provide resources for victims of identity theft. https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1
3. Contact the Internal Revenue Service: Advise the IRS that your personal information has been compromised and is in the possession of criminal elements which can result in filing fraudulent tax returns using your information. This is a critical step! http://www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection
4. Contact the State of Nevada Attorney General Office: Inquire about the Identity Theft Passport Program. http://ag.nv.gov/Hot_Topics/Victims/IDTheft/
5. Contact the Social Security Administration: The SSA will not likely issue you a new social security number. http://oig.ssa.gov/report-fraud-waste-or- abuse/what-cant-oig-investigate/identity-theft
6. Credit Securing Actions: The division cannot recommend or suggest the use of any credit securing services as they are all pay services. If you do elect to use a credit securing service, you may wish to first review the information at the FTC website.
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