Tens of millions of Americans have found themselves out of work as the economy reels from the impact of COVID-19. A record 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance in the four weeks leading up to April 11.
Unfortunately, when there’s bad news, the scammers aren’t far behind. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans have lost a collective $13.4 million to coronavirus-related fraud since the beginning of 2020, and unemployment scams have contributed their fair share to the loss.
恐慌性地填写索赔, along with the overloaded unemployment websites and phone lines, 为骗子提供完美的掩护. 鉴于大流行, the federal government has also waived some regulations of unemployment insurance, including the requirement to actively be seeking work in order to be eligible for benefits. The looser criteria have only made it easier for scammers to pull off their schemes without getting caught.
Here’s all you need to know about the circulating unemployment scams.
虚假索赔骗局
An unemployment scam can involve a con artist filing a claim in someone else’s name and then collecting their benefits or claiming to have been employed by a place of business where they have never held a job. 因此，受害者将被剥夺自己的利益.
政府雇员骗局
根据美国监察长的说法.S. 劳工部, these cons can also take the form of a scammer impersonating a government employee and offering to help the victim fill out their application form for unemployment insurance. 受害者, 为他们的索赔寻求帮助, will willingly comply with the scammer who is only out to get information so they can nab the victim’s benefits. Or worse, the scammer may use this information to steal the victim’s identity.
其他时间, while allegedly helping the victim fill out their forms, the scammer will ask the victim to make a payment via credit card to enable them to receive their benefits. 当然, this money will go straight into the scammer’s pocket and the victim’s unemployment claim will never be filed.
虚假网站骗局
这是失业骗局的另一个变种, fraudsters create bogus websites that look like the federal websites used for claiming benefits. Scammers use sophisticated software to create these sites and lure unsuspecting victims via social media posts or emails. 一旦受害者到了现场, they willingly share information and assume they are actually filling out their unemployment forms.
Unemployment scams can make a challenging situation all the more difficult by leading to theft, delaying an unemployment claim or completely disqualifying a victim from receiving unemployment insurance.
如何发现失业骗局
Arming yourself with knowledge is the best way to protect yourself against an unemployment scam.
第一个, it’s important to note that there is no fee involved in filing or qualifying for unemployment insurance.
第二个, government officials will never ask you to share personal information over the phone unless a phone appointment was pre-planned and scheduled for a specific date and time. 这包括一个完整的社会安全号码, 出生日期, 工作经历和财务信息.
Finally, sensitive information should never be shared on a site without first verifying its security. Each state will have its own website dedicated to filing and checking unemployment claims, but you can look for the lock icon next to the URL and for the “s” after the “http” in the web address. It’s also best to visit your state’s unemployment site on your own instead of clicking on an ad or a link that’s embedded in an email.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world as we know it, 造成生命损失，破坏经济. People are now looking toward the future while determining their next step in the new reality. Part of the recovery process involves picking up the pieces of economic ruin and keeping or putting personal finances in order. Scammers are out to thwart this process, but you can outsmart them. Always stay alert for potential scams and practice vigilance when sharing sensitive information online or over the phone.
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