How To Report Unemployment Fraud
IMPORTANT NOTE:
It is not illegal to work while you collect unemployment benefits. But there are rules on how you do it.
If you want to know how to report unemployment fraud, you must first be sure that someone is committing unemployment fraud. It is a crime to knowingly collect unemployment benefits that you are not eligible to receive, and this is considered unemployment fraud. BUT, it is very important to note that IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO WORK WHILE YOU ARE COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
When you apply for unemployment you may be informed that you are legally allowed to work at a job and make a certain amount of money while still collecting unemployment benefits. When you initially apply for unemployment, this amount will be calculated, and how this process works will be explained to you by your unemployment counselor.
If you suspect that someone you know is committing unemployment fraud, think long and hard before you report them. Unless you are 100% certain, you may be wrong, and you may end up reporting someone who is not committing a crime. If you falsely report someone for committing unemployment fraud, you yourself could possibly be committing a crime called 'Falsely Reporting a Crime'.
If you are 100% sure that someone is committing unemployment fraud, you can report them by contacting your local unemployment office - but make sure you are 100% correct.
Here's how to report someone for unemployment fraud:
Step 1:
Find you state unemployment website by clicking this link: State Unemployment Directory
Step 2:
Go to your state unemployment website.
Step 3.
Click on the link that says: "Report Unemployment Fraud"; "Contact Us", or other such heading.
Step 4.
Describe the instance of unemployment fraud that you are reporting.
Maybe We Can Help:
If you can't find the answer to your question, you can fill out the comment form below and I will answer your question ASAP, or you can ask the The Unemployment Expert or you can post your question in the Unemployment Forum
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If you have a question about your unemployment situation, or about unemployment in general, please post it here and we will try to answer it as quickly as possible, and post our reply here so that others can benefit from your question.
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Also, we welcome your comments -- please tell us about your unemployment situation. Tell your story. How did you get laid-off? Have you found a new job yet? Do you have any unemployment tips to share?
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Also, we welcome your comments -- please tell us about your unemployment situation. Tell your story. How did you get laid-off? Have you found a new job yet? Do you have any unemployment tips to share?
------------------------------------------
DO NOT POST YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!
DO NOT POST YOUR PHONE NUMBER OR OTHER PRIVATE INFORMATION!
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PLEASE NOTE that your comment will not post automatically, but will appear after the admin has approved it.
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Comments
Would a mother who is receiving unemployment benefits and is homeschooling her child (because she does not like the public school in her district and she has an outstanding balance with the private school the child was attending and the child cannot go back there until the balance is paid), be classified as actively pursuing employment such that her receipt of unemployment benefits is justified? It would seem that a parent homeschooling a child would not have enough hours in the day to be actively pursuing employment. Please let me have your thoughts.
Who's to say whether she has enough time to actively seek employment. Actually, most job-hunting is done online these days - via posting resumes on job boards, sending resumes to prospective employers, and filling out applications online - and most states are just fine with this. In NC, they have computers in the ESC offices just for people that don't have their own computers at home - just for them to conduct their job search online.
Site Admin
I'm fortunate enough to have a job, and I can appreciate the need for unemployment benefits, but when is it considered abuse? I know several people in central nebraska who are on unemployment and are working for cash on the side. Is it fraud? I could turn them in, but your website says I need to be 100% sure of it. And if I'm not 100% sure then I could be commiting a crime? I would think you would want to limit the fraud, if at least to free up money for people who really need it. And how could anyone know for sure, unless they were sitting in the room with the unemployment counselor and the one getting unemployment to know if they were allowed to work elsewhere in addition to their unemployment benefits? So basically do you want to stop the fraud or not? Are you going to publish who gets unemployment and if they can work on the side so concerned tax paying citizens can check for themselves? Obviously you dont want 5 million complaints every week to check out so and so, but if people are going to get those benefits they better need them, and better be able to prove it. I am looking forward to a response, and ensuing communications.
Thank you for time.
Thank you for your comments and perspective.
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, people receiving unemployment are required to apply for at least a certain number of jobs per week. In most states this is 2 job applications per week.
2. Many people are allowed to work part-time while collecting unemployment benefits - even for cash. Whether you are working for cash or for a check - you must report that income. Are these people you know committing fraud? This is a legal question and I am not an attorney - so I am not qualified to give legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact a labor or employment lawyer. Or you could contact the unemployment office or call the police and ask them if it is fraud. Perhaps I should put this disclaimer in the article above. While I do know that is a crime to falsely report a crime -- maybe you don't have to be sure about it before you report it. I just hope that folks would try to be sure about things - and maybe even *ask* the person you suspect is committing unemployment fraud if they are or not - before you end up reporting one of your friends, neighbors, or someone in your community. You are exactly right - you can never be sure.
3. Do I want to stop the fraud. Yes, of course. But I am a private individual that minds my own business - and the last thing I want to do is to go sticking my nose into other people's business and reporting them for something I don't know about. I would much rather spend my time trying to help people that are in bad situations by running a website that gives real information about how to get help, and answering people's questions about how they're going to find a job or get unemployment so they don't lose their house; so they can feed their kids; so they can get through cancer treatment; so they can get through the last few weeks of pregnancy; so they can feel like someone cares about them and that there is still hope in their life to go on - and not commit suicide. Millions of people have lost their jobs and have real problems just like these because of it. I'm focusing on positive things and helping these people. What are you focusing on?
4. No, I am not going to publish a list of everyone on unemployment (I am a private individual) and I do not think that government should either. Unemployment is paid for by employees (indirectly) and employers (directly) - not taxpayers. Unemployment extensions and some parts of the regular unemployment programs ARE paid for by taxpayers - but you know what? You can't get unemployment unless you worked a job and paid taxes. Unemployment fraud IS wrong, and all states are doing something about it - but taking away everyone's right to privacy because they lost their job and are collecting unemployment is wrong too.
99.999% of the people that collect unemployment HAVE PROVEN that that they need the benefits - and HAVE PROVEN that they are legally eligible to collect them since they paid for them - by working a job and paying into the unemployment system.
Site Admin
[THIS COMMENT EDITED BY ADMINISTRATOR]
[THE POSTING OF OTHER PEOPLE'S NAMES OR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR ALLEGED UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD IS NOT ALLOWED. IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE IS COMMITTING UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD - REPORT THEM TO THE AUTHORITIES. NOT HERE. - Site Admin]
Jack from Hawaii
Patricia, I have a similiar question to yours. I worked for a business owned a run by a mother and two sons. The business is failing. One of the sons (while intoxicated ) told me that the mother was drawing unemployment to recoup some of the money she invested in their failing business.
She still shows to work everyday while working at the buisness.
I am afraid to say anything though.
in kentucky (and i dont know if this varies by state) the short answer should be yes. there have been several cases where the UI board or the appeals vourt has ruled that severance pay is NOT deductable from UI payments, and does not serve as a disqualifier for UI. check your UI case histories.
He is married to a woman with children and has custody of one of our two children, They moved to the coast,the wife found a job instantly ,they have been there 4 months and he has yet to find employment.ALTHOUGH HE HAS PLENTY OF TIME TO DO SO,because he has plenty of time to harass my finance' and I. They also receive $900.00 dollars a month for a "disabled " child plus about 600 or 800 dollars a month in food stamps,and receive assistance with utility bills or they have in the past... Wow, I guess I wouldn't want to work either ...
Please send me the info needed to report or let me know if this is worth reporting.
The person has been asked by many, if they were ever going to look for a job.
The Answer from this person was
" I will not take a job that won't pay me what I was making before, and besides I'm getting unemployment!"
Does this incident qualify as FRAUD?
The claim was filed online, from another state, and I'm wondering if Florida will catch up with her. A neighbor called Florida's tipline, but to date, no action has been taken. I think it's her smug attitude over it all that angers me, beside the fact it was all federal stimulus money as her extended benifits had expired, but the stimulus gave her 18 months more.
Does Florida ever catch these people?
This is my question: obviously they have committed several types of fraud, including mail and insurance fraud. to whom do i report this? who will take me seriously? i live in lexington, ky, and they are a HUGE employer in this town. mayors office? state reps? atty general? how do i make the complaint? i am not the only person they have done this to. please help. thx.
How should I execute?
My wife and I are 63, she had to quit work and I am working 60 hours a week. His benefit check would go to better help his kids if it could be sent where they live. Please advise,we are going broke quickly.
collecting UE benefits from the state of Connecticut on a debit card and using the card while this man is in jail in Collier County ,Florida all the while he knows nothing about this. On top of that she is trying to sue this man's mother home owners insurance for whatever & hiding at her Ex-husband's house! How can she be reported if no know address are available only her telephone number, her name, and his name and Collier County Jail is available, and possible her last known address if correct?
fraud link for nj unemployment.....it says
I need a password, which I don't have. The phone number they list is not of any
help either.....can you tell me a phone
number for NJ that someone will actually
answer?? Thank you ...
Does she still get unemployment benefits?
My residents is in the state of Florida.
Thank You
I know someone who was laid off about end of Oct. she went on cruise/trip to Europe for 3 weeks end of Oct or first of Nov 2010. About 2 weeks after she returned she went to Ecuador for about 2 weeks at end of Nov. She again went to Ecuador end of january 2011. April 5th 2011 she again came to Ecuador to LIVE. As of end of April or first of May she was bragging how she was getting her unemployment checks regularly. I told her I did not like and she said even her adult daughter disagreed. Isn´t this fraud?
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indications that they are.If this person is on unemployment they are definatley committin fraud.Should I report this?
The unemployment office said if I did not have them working for the time I was sick and they did not recieve a check, then they can file unemployment on me. Is this true?
I never laid anyone off. I called a ask if this person wanted to work and they kept giving me all kinds of excuses why they could not work.. This is person & there family has always worked the system....
i dont know if its still going on but the more i think about it, the more pissed off i get so i finally decided to research this.
how would one know if this is the "legal work" you can do while still collecting, or if this is not legal? if i asked it would be suspicious and the kid could just lie.
you can only file a report" not a "keep an eye on" form?
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