Unfortunately, with the rise in unemployment insurance claims associated with COVID-19, the state has also seen a rise in fraudulent claims and other instances of fraud.
If you become aware of a fraudulent Colorado unemployment claim being filed in your name, there are steps you should follow to report the incident and steps you can take to protect your identity and your credit.
- Visit the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's website and "Submit a Fraud Report".
- If you received a U.S. Bank Reliacard for Colorado unemployment benefits but did not file a claim, fill out the U.S Bank Form (available through the website above) or contact U.S. Bank immediately at 1-855-279-1678. Tell them a fraudulent unemployment claim was filed using your information and ask them to deactivate the card.
- Contact the three consumer credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number (SSN). It may be an automated system, so you may not talk to a live person and you will have to enter your SSN and date of birth. Monitor your credit reports on a regular basis. Due to increased fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, each of the three credit bureaus is offering free weekly credit reports via annualcreditreport.com
You should also consider freezing your credit
Credit Bureau Contact Info:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian: 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
- File a "counter report" with your local police department. As a victim, you have the right to file this report. It does not mean the police will investigate it, but there will at least be a record of it on file and you can get a copy of the report for your records.
- You can also report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at identitytheft.gov. The FTC's website includes valuable resources about how to recover from identity theft and protect your identity.