WXYZ — Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency has seen a dramatic increase in new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims likely filed by criminals, officials say.
Since April 2, approximately 100,000 claims have been flagged as fraudulent.
“Because of the additional fraud protections we developed last year at the onset of these coordinated attacks on state unemployment agencies, these fraudulent claims have been stopped and no payments have been sent,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency, in a press release. “We continue to be vigilant in protecting the integrity of the system and the benefits for those who rightfully deserve them.”
Officials say imposter claims are filed using previously stolen or fraudulent personal information – no personal data from claimants has been stolen from the UIA.
