As if we don't have enough going on in the world now we are seeing an uptick in scams hitting the Hudson Valley. Again this week, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office has had to issue an alert on their Facebook page in the hopes of keeping the public informed of the latest ways people are taking advantage of your good name.

The latest scam involved unemployment benefit claims. Apparently people are filing fraudulent claims and using the names of people who haven't file a claim for themselves. According to today's (April 9, 2021) Facebook post from the Ulster County Sheriff's Office you would be alerted to this scam involving you if you receive a letter from the State of New York Department of Labor notifying you of a financial benefit you did not apply for from the state.

In the post they include a link to the Department of Labor which explains how the fraud is perpetuated and what you should do if you think your identify has been used. The article also mentions that this is been happening to people who work in health care, education, government and non-profits. Apparently the scammers pick these categories of employment because those folks are less likely to have file a real claim over the last year during the pandemic.

Due to the Pandemic benefits being extend scammer are most like taking advantage of the timing in the hope that they can get away with a few weeks of money before anyone catches on. Be sure to keep an eye out for this letter if you live in the Hudson Valley and you are already collecting a benefit. If you do feel that you might be a victim of this scam you are asked to contact the Department of Labor to report the fraud or identify theft.

 

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