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Unemployment Fraud in Nevada

The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is committed to preventing and identifying fraud or fraudulent scams. We encourage Nevadans to remain vigilant and to report fraud or any potential concerns of fraud to DETR.

In April of this year, DETR joined the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force. The Task Force, formed by Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford and U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich, is comprised of local, state and federal investigators and prosecutors with significant experience in handling multiple types of fraud complaints and cases related to cybercrime and unemployment insurance among others. DETR is working with local law enforcement, the Attorney General's COVID-19 Fraud Task Force and the Department of Labor to detect, prevent and address fraud.

In Nevada, unemployment fraud is considered a felony and the State will be following up on fraudulent claims up to and including prosecution and other civil remedies afforded under the law.

Reporting fraud in Nevada is done online by using the State’s Fraud Reporting Form which can be utilized by individuals and employers alike. Filers are encouraged to file a report and upload supporting information for their report to the State. Additional information explaining the steps individuals and employers can take should they believe a fraudulent claim has been filed can be found on the State’s fraud flyer 

Indication of a possible COVID-19 unemployment compensation scam

Scammers behind the PUA fraud appear to be using Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information to apply for and receive PUA benefits. In many situations, the victims are unaware that their personal information has been compromised. Some signs that personal information may have been compromised:

  1. For employers - if you receive notification a claim has been filed for one or more of your employees who are still working.

  2. For workers:

    • Receiving any type of correspondence that you filed an unemployment claim when you did not file a claim for benefits.
    • Receiving an unemployment debit card at your address with someone else’s name.
    • You are told by a current or former employer that a claim has been submitted with your personal information.

Report Fraud as an Employer

How to report fraud as an employer:

  1. Go to www.detr.nv.gov and select the Unemployment Fraud  tab on the left side of the page under “Quick links.” Once on the DETR fraud page, select Report Fraud to DETR located under" I want to.. " DETR will make a note in both the employee claim and in the employer’s record. No changes will be made to the employer’s account. Filers are asked to identify which program they are reporting on - traditional UI, PUA, or both. If needed, the Department may reach out for additional information.
  2. If you receive notice of a fraudulent filing on behalf of someone still employed or who does not work for you, please return your employer verification letter response to the address indicated as soon as possible, write “FRAUD” in big letters across the form indicating that the claim is fraudulent. Sign and date the letter. Include a separate letter on company letterhead with any details of the fraud. Employers registered with UInv should regularly review their online account for benefit filings to verify accuracy of separated employees. If you note a filing that you believe is fraudulent, you may respond through varied channels:
    • electronically through the employer portal, if you are connected to our State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) system;
    • by faxing in your signed and dated verification letter response indicating that the filing is potentially fraudulent to (775) 684-0338 or (702) 486-7987; or
    • by mailing back the verification letter response to either of the mailing addresses indicated on your letter
  3. File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), at www.ic3.gov on the employee's behalf.
  4. Notify and provide copies of all reports to the employee and inform them what has been reported. Keep a file with the information and timeline.
  5. Provide the below information to the employee.

Report Fraud as an Individual

How to report fraud as an individual

  1. Go to detr.nv.gov and select the Unemployment  Fraud tab on the left side of the page under “Quick links.” Once on the DETR fraud page, select Report Fraud to DETR located under “I want to…”  Once a report is filed, nothing else is required by the reporting party. DETR will flag the account so payments are not issued. If you have an employer (as opposed to being an independent contractor or “gig worker” receiving PUA payments), it will be noted in your employer’s file as well. Filers are asked to identify which program they are reporting on - traditional UI, PUA, or both. If needed, the Department may reach out for additional information. Additionally, individuals may:
  2. File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), at www.ic3.gov
  3. File an Identity Theft or Personal Identifiable Information Complaint with local law enforcement alleging that your personal information has been compromised and used to file an unemployment compensation claim. As part of this process, your driver’s license or state ID and your Social Security card should be verified.
  4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.identitytheft.gov/.   Click “Get Started.”  And here, you will find resources for victims of identity theft.  To report identity theft, select “I want to report identity theft.”  Then, select “Government Benefits or IDs.”
  5. File a complaint with the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report/.  Click “Submit a Report” under “Report Other Social Security Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.”  You can also call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.
  6. Check your credit report for any anomalies. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com and follow the directions provided to request your free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
  7. Do not give out or verify your personal information (e.g., date of birth and social security number) over the phone.  If someone contacts you asking about your personal information and you are unsure whether it is legitimate, hang up, verify the company’s true phone number and contact the company directly.
  8. Optional:   Consider placing a fraud alert with one of the three credit reporting agencies:  Experian, TransUnion or Equifax.  The fraud alert is free and this only needs to be done once. The fraud alert remains on the account for 1 year. You can find contact information for the three credit reporting agencies by visiting the following IRS page https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/employment-related-identity-theft , and scroll down to the bottom of the page, “Steps you should take…”.  Please note that this may make it harder to legitimately apply for credit during this period.

What to do if you receive a debit card you did not apply for:

Constituents who have received a Bank of America card in error should not activate the card. To aid DETR’s internal investigation operations and prevent a fraudulent expenditure of unemployment funds, any person who erroneously receives a Bank of America Card should:

Visit www.detr.nv.gov and  select the Unemployment Fraud tab on the left side of the page under “Quick links.” Once on the DETR fraud page, select Report Fraud to DETR located under " I want to .."  When completing DETR's online fraud report, filers can list the names on the cards and upload a picture of the Bank of America card, that includes the 16-digit number on the front of the debit card, the expiration date, and the individual’s name, along with their phone number. Once you upload the card information and submit the fraud report, you can destroy the cards. DETR will flag the account so payments are not issued. If needed, the Department may reach out for additional information.

Individuals can also visit the Way2Go Card site at https://www.goprogram.com or call (844) 542-1115 for more information about the debit card(s).

General steps to protect yourself against unemployment scams:

  • Never give out your personal information over email or text message.
  • Don’t wire money.
  • Don’t open or respond to unsolicited emails or text messages.
  • Thoroughly review all financial statements for any unusual activity. Immediately contact the company if an item looks suspicious.
  • Shred or destroy credit card statements, bills, insurance papers or bank statements before throwing them out.
  • Do not carry your Social Security Card in your wallet.
  • Be wary of anyone calling to “confirm” personal or financial information. Often, these are criminals trying to obtain those facts under the guise of “confirmation”.
  • Release your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary or when required by law
  • Ask how you can remove unnecessary information or information that is not required for the service you are receiving.
  • Check credit reports, banking information, medical information that may have details that need to be removed or secured
  • Protect and update passwords to your online accounts regularly.
  • When creating passwords and PINS, do not use anything that could be discovered easily by thieves.
  • Memorize all your passwords and PINS.
  • Remove old accounts and passwords that are no longer in use.
  • Use additional security measures provided for your accounts wherever available.
  • When reaching out to DETR or any government entity, keep your personal information safe by making sure you’re only dealing with official state representatives and not scammers preying on your vulnerability during this challenging time.

NOTE: DETR may need to call you. If you file a claim, save the following unemployment phone numbers to your phone so you know you’re receiving a legitimate call from DETR:

  • 775-687-7101,
  • 702-486-0185 and
  • 702-486-3387.

Should we need to contact you directly, we will ask you for some personal identification information in order to verify your identity.

Additional resources

We are working hard to keep Nevadans safe from fraud.

Please review fraud information to avoid accidental fraud.

NV Relay 711 or 800-326-6868
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