Toledo, MI – The Better Business Bureau is receiving calls every day from consumers who have been scammed, or have almost been scammed, by people gaining access to personal information and filing fraudulent unemployment benefits.
People are receiving 1099-G forms from the Job and Family Services offices in Ohio, Michigan or other states, and they have no idea what these forms mean or whether they are scams.
According to BBB Scam Tracker, here are some common ways victims became aware of the fraud:
- Most common is they receive a 1099-G form from the government telling them that they received thousands of dollars in unemployment benefits. This is serious. If the victim doesn’t report the scam, the ‘earnings’ will be reported to IRS and may be taxable.
- They received notification from an unemployment office ‘confirming’ the date of their last day of work – even though they are still employed or have been retired for years.
- A letter from the state unemployment office or department of labor informing them that their unemployment benefits were denied – even though they made no such claim.
- And their employer is notified that they filed for unemployment benefits, even though they still work for the company.
If you receive a letter, email, or any other notification about an unemployment claim that you never made, be sure to report it.
Tune into our local and state newscasts, anytime day or night, for this story and more.
#wlenradio #wlennews #lenaweenews