Consumer complaint received 2021-02-15
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: MD
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Information belongs to someone else

Complaint:
I'm XXXX  as a XXXX. I received a separation of employment form from the Maryland unemployment Insurance Fund. I am not unemployed, and I did not file for unemployment insurance. I notified the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Fund of fraud by email and they email me directions. See below UI Fraud -LABOR- ( sent by XXXX ) XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX ( 1 day ago ) to me Please see the information below. There is an article at the bottom dated XX/XX/XXXX. Since then identity theft has increased. 

Thank you for contacting us regarding this issue and alerting us to the fact that a fraudulent claim has been filed in your name. We have locked this claim down so that no future benefits will be paid. We are also removing your social security number from this fraudulent claim. 

There has been no breach in our Unemployment System. Fraudsters are using identities and personal identifiable information stolen from prior data breaches that have taken place such as ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) to file fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Claims. We are also working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General to investigate these fraudulent claims. 

In an attempt to protect yourself from any future fraud attacks : Request your free credit reports via XXXX and review them for other fraudulent activities. 

Notify all three credit bureaus that you have been a victim of identity theft : XXXX XXXX and XXXX. 

File a police report with the local authorities. 

You may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at : ftc.gov/complaint. 

You may file a complaint with the National Center for Disaster Fraud ( NCDF ). Click the link below to complete the NCDF Disaster Complaint form. 

NCDF Disaster Complaint Form Also click this link for tips from the Maryland State Police.http : //labor.maryland.gov/employment/uiidtheftprotection.pdf Article from FBI Website - XX/XX/XXXX FBI Sees Spike in Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Claims Filed Using Stolen Identities The FBI has seen a spike in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims complaints related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic involving the use of stolen personally identifiable information ( PII ). 

U.S. citizens from several states have been victimized by criminal actors impersonating the victims and using the victims stolen identities to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims online. The criminals obtain the stolen identity using a variety of techniques, including the online purchase of stolen PII, previous data breaches, computer intrusions, cold-calling victims while using impersonation scams, email phishing schemes, physical theft of data from individuals or third parties, and from public websites and social media accounts, among other methods. Criminal actors will use third parties or persuade individuals who are victims of other scams or frauds to transfer fraudulent funds to accounts controlled by criminals. 

Many victims of identity theft related to unemployment insurance claims do not know they have been targeted until they try to file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits, receive a notification from the state unemployment insurance agency, receive an IRS Form 1099-G showing the benefits collected from unemployment insurance, or get notified by their employer that a claim has been filed while the victim is still employed. 

The FBI advises the public to be on the lookout for the following suspicious activities : Receiving communications regarding unemployment insurance forms when you have not applied for unemployment benefits Unauthorized transactions on your bank or credit card statements related to unemployment benefits Any fees involved in filing or qualifying for unemployment insurance Unsolicited inquiries related to unemployment benefits Fictitious websites and social media pages mimicking those of government agencies Now I am going through that list contacting different agencies.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation