Introducing our Unemployment Fraud Center

Last spring, as part of the pandemic stimulus package, the government expanded unemployment benefits — and it wasn’t long before identity thieves began flooding the system with fraudulent claims. 

The resulting fraud wave has been one of the biggest in history. One government agency estimates that unemployment fraud under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act could result in more than $87.3 billion in improper unemployment insurance payments, with “a significant portion attributed to fraud.” 

Our Restoration Specialists work closely with our members to remediate new and ongoing cases of identity theft, and they’ve witnessed the historic fraud levels first hand. At one point, unemployment fraud accounted for 70 percent of all active remediation cases here at Allstate Identity Protection. 

Resolving this type of fraud can be overwhelming — especially since our Restoration Specialists can’t always work directly with the government to reach a resolution on our members’ behalf. 

Enter our new Unemployment Fraud Center. We developed this free and easy-to-use resource to help employees and employers fight fraud as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you’re a fraud victim...

Whether you’re an Allstate Identity Protection member or not, if you’re experiencing fraud, you can visit the Unemployment Fraud Center for step-by-step guidance on how to file a claim. 

Here’s how it works: 

• Answer a few questions and we’ll create your personalized step-by-step claim list 

• Follow the easy steps to file your unemployment case with the proper government agencies

• Enter your email address and we’ll send you an Unemployment Fraud Checklist with a record of the actions you’ve taken, plus guidance on next steps

Throughout the process, you may need to work with your employer and the appropriate state agencies. We provide pre-written email templates and direct links to the necessary forms on government websites to make each step as simple as possible. 

Once your claim has been filed, you can expect to hear from your state’s unemployment insurance office within 30 to 60 days. Each state is different, but typically after that length of time, your case will be closed.

If you’re an employer...

If you’re an employer, we provide additional resources to guide you. 

If you’ve received an unemployment claim that you believe is fraudulent, you can use our pre-drafted email to alert your employee of the issue. We also offer instructions on how to dispute the claim with the state. 

Employees that are going through fraud may have questions and concerns. We provide additional employee resources you can share with your team. 

Remediating fraud can be challenging under any circumstances, but it’s our hope that with these resources, the process of resolving unemployment fraud will be easier than ever before.