LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) prevented 10,000 fraudulent claimants from receiving money in the span of three days.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) says UIA’s anti-fraud software prevented those claims from going through.
We’re told the thwarted attempts mark the end of an eight-day streak of high numbers of people submitting false insurance claims.
LEO says stolen information was used in attempts to establish claims in multiple states for undeserved benefits.
“Anyone thinking about committing fraud to try and illegally obtain unemployment benefits should take this as a warning,” says UIA Director Julia Dale. “Stopping crime and strengthening the integrity of the unemployment system is UIA’s top priority. Our team spotted the large number of attempts right away and put a stop to any further action on these false claims.”
Michigan residents who had their identities stolen for bogus insurance claims may be notified of the incident by mail. Those who receive notices from the UIA are instructed to report the fraudulent activity by visiting UIA’s webpage and clicking “Report Identity Theft” on the MiWAM page, then click “Individual.”
Victims should also fill out this Statement of Identity Theft and submit it online.
“Thieves should know Michigan is not a state where you will get away with stealing from deserving citizens, but one where you will be caught and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Dale adds.
