ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland State Police and the Department of Labor are warning of another rise in unemployment insurance scams.
Most scam attempts are made through email, text message, or phone calls.
Usually the scammers try and get their victims to click on a fake link and enter their ID and password in hopes of stealing their benefits.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Maryland Department of Labor has flagged nearly 1.8 million claimants - and 2.3 million total claims - as potentially fraudulent.
These are some of the fraudulent text messages recently reported by Maryland residents.
Police say to not click on any link, if you receive an email or text message that appears to be from the Maryland Department of Labor.
The Department of Labor does not provide assistance through text message and will not send any links asking a claimant to verify their account through text.
They will also never request payment to assist with unemployment insurance, and do not provide help through direct message on social media.
All legitimate Department of Labor email will have an @maryland.gov address.
Be sure to protect yourself by taking preventative measures and keeping an eye on your credit report.
Call 1-877-322-8228 or visit www.annualcreditreport.com to access your report through the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. You must contact each of the three credit reporting agencies individually to access your credit report under Maryland law: Equifax: 1-800-685-1111; Experian: 1-888-397-3742; TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872.
Still, if you believe your information was used to fraudulently file an unemployment insurance claim, contact the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance by visiting MDunemployment.com or e-mailing ui.fraud@maryland.gov. Suspected unemployment insurance fraud should also be reported to the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General by visiting their website or calling 1-800-347-3756.
You can also file a report with your local Police Department or Maryland State Police Barrack or file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.
