New York State Department of Labor Identifies More Than $11 Million in Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Payments in August; On Track to Find More Than $110 Million in Stolen Benefits This Year, DOL to Seek Repayment and Refer Nonpayment to Law Enforcement As Needed, New Fraud Detection Technology Part of DOL's Four-Year Modernization Effort. -Shared Work Program Official communication from NYS DOL sent to the wrong address or unclaimed mail from NYS DOL may be signs of unemployment fraud. In addition to filing fraudulent claims, fraudsters have been caught attempting to hack personal NY.gov accounts, lift sensitive information, and obtain driver's license information. In 2018, the New York State Department of Labor returned $35.5 million to more than 30,000 workers. ALBANY, NEW YORK - Tramaine Pope, age 33, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today to federal program theft, and admitted to abusing her position as a New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) employee to obtain $314,168 by submitting and approving 20 false unemployment insurance applications. Additionally, New York State will not text claimants asking for your driver's license information or asking claimants to confirm driver's license information. Stops most access to your credit report unless you lift or remove it. New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations, Bldg 12 - Room 576 W. Averell Harriman Campus Albany, NY 12240. How you can help us: If you become aware of potential welfare fraud, contact us at one of the following: Telephone Hot Line: 858-1886. PO Box 4303 If an email appears fraudulent, it may be look out for misspellings, suspicious linksand unusual messaging. External web sites operate at the direction of their respective owners who should be contacted directly with questions regarding the content of these sites. See the JCOPE website for more information. Follow these tips to protect your private information and protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud. Bryan Hilton was named Associate Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in September 2018. Environmental nys department of labor, office of special investigations and legislation mail NYC Department of Investigation 180 Maiden Lane, 16th Floor New ;. You may receive a 1099-G for benefits claimed using your Social Security number. "At the height of the pandemic, when our state experienced an unprecedented unemployment crisis, these fraudulent unemployment insurance claims took resources away from New Yorkers . XXXVIII December 1 - January 31, 2022, DOLs Fiscal Year 2022 Information Security Program Audit, Unemployment Insurance Fraud Consumer Protection Guide, OIG Framework for Enterprise Risk Management v 2.0. OIG hotline contact information. January 2023. NYS DOL will send you a revised form showing that you did not collect unemployment benefits. The OAG case is being prosecuted by Special Counsel Benjamin S. Clark of the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, with the assistance of Legal Support Analyst Jamirah Williams-Johnson. Harriman State Campus, Building 12, Room 561. State NY. Authority. NYS DOL uses ID.mes secure online technology to verify the identity of unemployment insurance (UI) applicants. Set a credit freeze by contacting each of the three national credit bureaus. Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) . 800-685-1111. 1-800-347-3756. Change passwords, logins, and PINs for online accounts, especially bank accounts; Place a free fraud alert on accounts with the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnionand Equifax); File a report with your local police department; and, Do not share your password or PIN with anyone. with the UI Online Services web pages, This page is available in other languages, Unemployment Insurance Employer Services District Offices. NEW YORK, NY - After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Weaver Racing Inc. and owner George R. Weaver paid a total of $425,000 in court-ordered back wages, liquidated damages and civil penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the labor provisions of the H-2B visa program. However, if you do receive a 1099-G form because unemployment benefits were fraudulently collected using your Social Security number, you should file a Request for 1099-G Review. Employment Type Full-Time. If you are a deaf or hard of hearing individual who is being assisted by another person, call the Telephone Claims Center at (888) 783-1370; however, if you use TTY/TDD, call a relay operator first at (800) 662-1220, and ask the operator to call the Telephone Claims Center. Fax: 212-416-8694. PO Box 1939 Albany, NY 12201-0721Send Payment to: The primary mission of OSI is to advance the mission and statutory mandates of the Department; vigorously pursue justice through fair, thorough, and impartial . In addition to identity theft, there are other forms of fraud against the New York State Department of Labor. The New York State Department of Labor Stops Fraudsters from Stealing More Than $5.5 Billion in Unemployment Benefits During Covid-19 Pandemic. Agency Labor, Department of. "At the height of the pandemic, when our state experienced an unprecedented unemployment crisis, these fraudulent unemployment insurance claims took resources away from New Yorkers who needed them most," Governor Hochul said. 28 Liberty Street. who works for you All leads and tips are treated as confidential information. "Our Office of Special Investigations is aggressively deploying advanced resources, from artificial . The DOL has referred hundreds of thousands of fraud cases to federal prosecutors, and continues to work with law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local level to hold fraudsters accountable. Unemployment Insurance Division Title Investigative Officer 2 (Labor Standards) - White Plains. Box 1195, Albany, NY 12201. The pursuit of justice must further be free from bias, prejudice, or any other impairment to objectivity. Read all of the Unemployment Insurance Frequently Asked Questions. In response to this uptick in fraudulent claims, the Department of Labor Commissioner and Department of Financial Services have launched a public service announcement campaign, educating New Yorkers about how to protect themselves against identity theft, which can be viewedhere. As OSI looks to the future, itwill continue to build its capabilities and serve DOCCS and the State as a premier investigative organization. or 1-800-456-1015 Call toll-free 800-87-ETHICS (800-873-8442). OSIs fundamental goal is to prevent, detect, and investigate abuse, fraud, waste, misconduct, corruption, and criminal activity, among other matters, and to help promote integrity within New York States correctional and community supervision system. However, claimants should NEVER give their Social Security number over social media. Address: New York State Office for the Aging 2 Empire State Plaza Albany, New York 12223-1251 Telephone: 1-800-342-9871 To report identity theft, please go to https://apps.labor.ny.gov/IndividualFraudReporting/. Special Audit and Enforcement NYS DOL inquiring about a current employee who is not unemployed, NYS DOL inquiring about a former employee who has not become unemployed within the past five annual quarters, Missing, incorrect, or suspicious information in a claim, Claim UI benefits that they know they are not entitled to, Help others claim benefits they are not entitled to, Providing false information or failing to disclose information on your application for benefits, including lying about how you lost your job, Working while collecting unemployment benefits and inaccurately reporting your days and earnings, Working any amount of time in a week while collecting benefits and telling us you did not work, Earning more than $504 from employers in one week where benefits are collected and not correctly reporting true total earnings for that week, Failing to be ready, willing and able to work (e.g., out of the area, on vacation, sick, suffering total disability) while collecting UI benefits, Working "off the books" while collecting benefits, Using another person's identity (e.g., name, Social Security number) to file fraudulent claims, Helping another person file a false unemployment insurance claim, Collaborating with an employer to illegally claim unemployment insurance benefits, Pay "off the books" or "under the table" wages, Shift workers between employer payrolls to use a lower UI contribution rate. However, New Yorkers should watch out for SMShing attempts where fraudsters use text messages to lure them into calling back a fraudulent phone number, visiting fraudulent websites, or downloading malicious content via phone or web. The NYS DOL is also reminding New Yorkers to be alert in protecting their personal information as some fraudsters are posing as the NYS DOL through fraudulent emails, text messages, and social media accounts to prey on New Yorkers. ALBANY, NEW YORK - Jamie Johnson, age 36, of Albany, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Albany, NY 12226, 24-hour In June, Governor Hochul announced that NYSDOL is halfway through this plan. We are urging them to refer to the tips in this release to protect themselves against fraud and to help us in our efforts to catch these fraudsters.. Even after reporting fraud, it is very likely that individuals may receive additional mail, emails, text messages, and/or a debit card after the report has been filed. Report the fraudulent claim to the NYS Department of Labor via phone, 1(888) 598-2077 or by mail to: NYS Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations, Bldg. Office of Special Investigations (OSI) NO. We also considered information that was provided by the Department through August 18, 2020. Find out which individuals are wanted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's (DOCCS) Office of Special Investigations who have been designated as its Most Wanted Fugitives. The State of New York does not imply approval of the listed destinations, warrant the accuracy of any information set out in those destinations, or endorse any opinions expressed therein. . The presence of an active claim would prevent the criminals from filing a fraudulent claim for that same person. Binghamton, NY 13902-4303, Write to: Following the Department of Labor's investigation, Governor Hochul announced that the State would seek repayment for fraudulent benefits payments and refer nonpayment to state law enforcement. Criminals are using real New Yorkers' identities - likely stolen during previous data breaches involving institutions like banks, insurance companies, and major employers - to file fraudulent claims and illegally collect benefits in the name of individuals who are not unemployed. DOL representatives will never reach out directly through a text message. Call the Telephone Claims Center (TCC) toll-free at (888) 209-8124 during the hours of operation: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00PM. NYS DOL agents and chatbots will never ask for this information through social media. Contact Hotline. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the Department of Labor has paid over $65 billion to more than 4 million New Yorkers - representing more than 30 typical years' worth of benefits paid in just 11 months. 95 Franklin Street. 22-23-001-04-431 (November 3, 2022), COVID-19: OSHA's Enforcement Activities Did Not Sufficiently Protect Workers From Pandemic Health Hazards Report No. The DOL has referred hundreds of thousands of fraud cases to federal prosecutors, and continues . These benefits were paid almost exclusively to those working while also collecting unemployment insurance payments during the pandemic. USDOL-OIG, and USPIS, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations and the Schenectady County Department of Social Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Chisholm. You can file a formal complaint with the Buffalo Attorney General's Office. The Department began the investigation in August 2019, after a reporter and musician contacted the NYSDOL to learn more about the rules and regulations that regulate businesses like SoFar Sounds. If an investigation is warranted, OSI will open a case and assign it to an investigator. Texts from the NYS DOL will ONLY come from 468311 or 22751. Mail: Labor Bureau. Agency: New York State Department of Labor; Division: Division of Labor Standards Local Office; Phone Number: (888) 469-7365; . Please include the title, location and vacancy ID#113598 of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your e-mail. GREGORY CHO - Inspector General gcho@doi.nyc.gov 180 Maiden Lane, New York, N.Y. 10038 . Johnson admitted to filing false unemployment insurance applications online with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) in order to fraudulently obtain $701,441 in benefits issued in the names of other people. -Special Enforcement cases They have taken swift steps to change their business practices, and they are fully compensating their employees. I tried to file for unemployment benefits but was told I already have a claim - even though I have never filed before. The investigation revealed that the volunteer ambassadors were running all aspects of the concerts, from promoting events on social media to setting up venues, and they were not paid for the work they performed. In addition, the DOL uses information from other government agencies, New Yorkers, and employers to protect the integrity of the unemployment system. Unemployment Insurance If you are not applying for unemployment benefits, you should not go through the ID.me process of verifying your identity for NYS DOL.