Officials with Iowa Workforce Development are again warning about a scam that involves fraudulent unemployment claims.
The agency says they continue to hear from residents getting notices in the mail saying such a claim has been filed in their name, but the recipient never actually filed the claim. Officials with Iowa Workforce Development say if you get such a letter, you shouldn’t just throw it away and forget about it. Instead, they say you should report it to them immediately.
Jerry Dougherty, a Marketing and Communications Officer with Iowa Workforce Development, says based on what they currently know, the underlying scheme involves attempts to file fraudulent unemployment claims using someone else’s legitimate information.
He adds the agency routinely sends letters to unemployment claimants and their former employers to make certain everyone is aware of the claim being filed and to alert parties to any potential hearing about the claim.
The use of personal information in such a letter doesn’t automatically mean it is a scam, although it could be. In cases like these, Dougherty says real individuals may be receiving legitimate letters from IWD that appear to show they filed for benefits when, in fact, they have not.
Iowans with any questions about a letter they receive from IWD should contact the agency immediately at UIFraud@iwd.iowa.gov.