Arizona AG warning residents about fraudulent unemployment claims

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is warning Arizonans about fraudulent unemployment claims that could be linked to identity theft.

The attorney general’s office has received numerous criminal complaints within the past few weeks from residents who received a letter from the Arizona Department of Economic Security about unemployment benefits, even though they did not apply for them, Brnovich said in a press release Monday.

Investigators believe the criminals involved are applying for the unemployment benefits using other people’s identity. Scammers could be using personal information of victims obtained from phishing scams or previous unrelated data breaches, Brnovich said.

Some residents said they were mailed a debit card with unemployment benefits even though they did not sign up for it.

“Arizonans who need unemployment benefits can be delayed or can’t get the assistance they actually need because of this type of fraud,” Brnovich said in the release.

“Ineligible Arizonans who receive notification of unemployment benefits or receive inquiries about benefits they did not initiate need to report the attempted fraud immediately and be vigilant to ensure their personal information has not been compromised.”

Brnovich advises anyone who received the improper employment claims to destroy the credit card immediately and report the fraudulent activity to the DES.

Additionally, residents are urged to file complaints with the attorney general’s office, the DES, your employer and Human Resources department and the FTC.

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