TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Department of Labor announced on its website that Kansas is seeing an increase in reports of unemployment claim fraud due to identity theft which has been a prevalent occurrence in states all across the country.

“Fraudulent claims are being filed using the names and personal information of people who have not lost their jobs. People are often unaware a claim has been made on their behalf until they receive a determination notice in the mail from KDOL or until their employer receives a notice to verify the employee’s status.”

“A review of these fraudulent claims indicates that scammers are finding personal information through incidents like credit card data breaches and then using that information to illegally attempt to collect unemployment. These fraudulent attempts are not due to a breach of the KDOL unemployment system or because of anything that you have done.”

Kansas Department of Labor

KDOL advised Kansans who suspect a claim may have been improperly filed using their identity or their employees’ identity, to contact KDOL by clicking here. KDOL will investigate the submitted claim, suspend the fraudulent account if suspicious activity is found, and refer the matter over to law enforcement for action.

According to KDOL, a fraudulent claim that is created using someone or their employee’s personal information, including Social Security Number and date of birth, indicates that personal information is exposed and there is risk of further financial harm. To find out what steps KDOL recommends in such cases, click here.