Imposter Fraud

Cartoon man behind a mask

Did you or your employer receive an email or letter regarding unemployment benefits that you never applied for? This may mean that you’re a victim of UI imposter fraud.

Imposter fraud is when someone illegally applies for unemployment benefits using stolen personal information. If you suspect that your personal information has been stolen and used to file a claim for unemployment benefits, please follow the steps below.

Are you an employer? Click here for information on reporting a fraudulent claim or protesting fraudulent charges.

How to Report Imposter Fraud

  1. Report Imposter Fraud to the RISP

    If you or your employer receive an email or letter regarding unemployment benefits that you never applied for, please file a report with the RI State Police. Once you file a report with the RI State Police, there is no need to contact DLT to report the fraudulent claim. The State Police will communicate with DLT to stop the claim.

    Report Imposter Fraud

  2. Check your Credit Report

    Check your credit report for suspicious activity or for unauthorized lines of credit that may have been opened in your name. Per federal regulations, you may request one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, Transunion) through AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. For information and steps you can take to further protect your credit, visit the Credit Report page on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consumer site.

  3. Report Identity Theft

    Report unemployment identity theft that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud. Reporting with the National Center for Disaster Fraud helps law enforcement stop future unemployment identity theft. Filing this report with the National Center for Disaster Fraud will also notify the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, which is the primary agency responsible for investigating unemployment fraud. You may not receive a response back after submitting this information.

Frequently Asked Questions

You should consider contacting the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. Review your credit report periodically and make note of any account or transaction you don’t recognize.

When the case is received by the investigator, they will immediately stop the claim for benefits and take action to ensure it is not possible to issue future payments. The accounts will be notated and fully reviewed. However, an exact timeline for a full investigation is not available.

There is no way to know for sure how this happened. However, we make every effort to investigate the matter. At this time, there is no evidence available to suggest that any DLT system has been breached. Rather, it appears that individuals obtain previously stolen information from another source and use it to submit DLT applications.

DLT has dedicated, knowledgeable staff to investigate these matters. As a result of the increased volume of UI applications, we have increased our efforts. DLT is in constant communication with UI agencies from across the country to share information, keep up with how identity thieves are changing their tactics to adapt to new security measures, and develop new and stronger identity verification procedures to make it harder for criminals to steal UI benefits.

No. The Department is taking steps to ensure that you will not be held responsible for any benefits that were paid out fraudulently using your identity. If you received a 1099-G from from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, but you did not file for nor receive unemployment insurance benefits in 2022, please click here to report it.

Please follow the steps provided in the email you received. For assistance verifying your identity please call (401) 415-6772.