At least $36 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits have been stolen from the U.S., according to analysis from the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Labor.
CNBC reports 10 percent of the $360 billion Congress allotted for unemployment benefits in the Cares Act have been improperly distributed, mostly due to scams that have taken those benefits away from unemployed workers. Now, the federal government and states are clamping down.
To protect yourself from Unemployment fraud, you can do the follow.
- Never pay to apply for unemployment benefits.
- Report benefits/payment cards you didn't request.
- Monitor your credit & check your credit reports.
- Report suspected fraud.
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