Watch For A Fake Unemployment Benefits Claim Notice

Many customers of insurance giant GEICO are a little on edge. Some of their personal information was hacked from a company server earlier this year.  Now they’re being told to be on the lookout for fake unemployment insurance filings using their information.

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel reports so far, there is no indication that is happening in Michigan.  But Michigan has certainly been hit with massive fraud through the Unemployment Insurance Agency since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.  And the full effects of thousands of fraudulent filings may never be known.  Best estimates put the amount of money lost to the state at over $1 billion.

GEICO announced the issue in a communication to customers last month. The situation was first reported by the online media outlet Tech Crunch. Most everyone getting the notice from GEICO was more than a bit unsettled at hearing of not just one breach, but an undisclosed number of additional data breaches.

In a notice filed earlier this month, the company informed affected customers that, “We recently determined that between January 21, 2021 and March 1, 2021, fraudsters used information about you – which they acquired elsewhere – to obtain unauthorized access to your driver’s license number through the online sales system on our website. We have reason to believe that this information could be used to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits in your name...”

All Michigan residents should be on extra alert status to fraud cases, not just GEICO customers. A big red flag is receiving paperwork from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) about an unemployment insurance filing. Especially when it involves a benefits filing that is not legitimate.

The state has identity theft information and fraud information on the state website. Additionally, the state DIFS can help anyone with unemployment insurance-related questions or issues either online or by calling Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442.