Here’s what you need to know

Hundreds of thousands of Floridians have filed for unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES ACT put into place an additional $600 a week for those who’ve lost their jobs—and while it’s designed to relieve some of the financial struggle, the act has fueled a rise in ID theft and fraud. This is an issue that everyone needs to be aware of, here’s why:

You Don’t Have to be Unemployed to be a Victim

Because of the fact that social security numbers are bought and sold on the dark web every day, even if you haven’t filed for unemployment, you could still become a victim of unemployment fraud. Scammers use social security numbers to file an unemployment claim, direct the money to a bank account and then transfer the money outside of the United States. The amount of fraud claims has risen dramatically since the CARES ACT was established and the criminals are working in several ways including:

• Filing unemployment claims with stolen social security numbers
• Businesses are seeing claims from people who never worked for their company
• Companies are seeing claims from people who haven’t worked for them in years
• Unemployed people are falling for scammers who offer help in filing their claims who then use their personal information to steal their identities and their unemployment benefits

How to Protect Yourself

Whether you’ve lost your job or not during the pandemic, you need to be aware of what’s going on and stay on track with checking your credit report often. In addition, here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from unemployment fraud:

• Notify your employer immediately if you receive any unsolicited paperwork from Florida’s department of employment or the department of economic opportunity
• Check your unemployment claim online often to ensure it is being processed and the information registered is correct including address, birth date, etc.
• Set up new passwords on bank accounts and credit cards
• Check your credit report for any unfamiliar activity, accounts, etc.
• Be on the lookout for any other signs of fraudulent activity

During these uncertain times, ID thieves are looking for opportunities and for victims who can be caught off guard. The best protection is to be aware of scams that are happening and stay vigilant with protecting your identity.

Shredding is one of the top ways to protect your identity and ensure that your personal information does not fall into the wrong hands. All Points Mobile Shredding offers onsite shredding at your home or office. We serve South Florida residents and businesses from Broward County through Okeechobee County. Give us a call or fill out this form to get more information.