The Wellesley Police Department has been peppered over the past 2 weeks with reports by residents of identity theft in connection with fraudulent unemployment claims filings, a situation playing out across the country as a result of this scam taking advantage of new benefits for the many newly unemployed.
The police tallied more than a dozen such reports in its weekly arrests and incidents log.
The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance has issued a press release about the scam that says criminals are exploiting personal information stolen in earlier national data breaches. The department has put in place additional security measures, which unfortunately for those collecting benefits legitimately could mean delays in their payments.
If you suspect you’ve become a victim of this scam, here’s what you should do, not in any particular order:
- Use the Department of Unemployment Assistance fraud contact form or to call the DUA customer service department at 877-626-6800.
- Contact the Wellesley Police Department to file a report.
If you’re one of the unlucky ones and want to share your story with us, let us know: [email protected]
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