TRENTON, NJ – If you want to collect unemployment in New Jersey, you no longer have to meet at your local unemployment offices in person. You don’t have to be actively seeking unemployment and the entire process is now conducted online, with no in-person interactions.
In fact, you don’t even need to prove to the state that the person filing for unemployment is even the person whose name is on the online application.
That process has opened the door to a massive amount of unemployment fraud. People both in state and out of state are filing fraudulent claims using the personal information of New Jersey residents to collect their unemployment benefits.
It’s happening statewide as identity theft-based criminals are now preying upon the broken system here in the Garden State.
In response to an increasing number of requests for assistance by constituents who are the victims of unemployment fraud, Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf, and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove have called on the Murphy Administration to direct more resources to combat this surging crime.
The 9th District Delegation sent the following letter to Governor Phil Murphy requesting urgent action:
Dear Governor Murphy:
“This is an urgent request for action by your Administration in response to the increasing number of our constituents who have alerted our Delegation that they are victims of unemployment fraud and are in desperate need of assistance. The majority of these constituents have not filed for unemployment themselves, but have had someone file for unemployment fraudulently under their name.
“In the course of attempting to assist these constituents, we understand that the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development established a telephone number and online form to report unemployment fraud and is now utilizing the verification system ID.ME. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that these efforts are not sufficient, inasmuch as unemployment fraud cases certainly appear to be on the rise.
“Accordingly, our Delegation is calling on your Administration to direct additional resources to the Department for the purposes of assisting victims of unemployment fraud as well as to enhance existing verifications procedures to prevent hackers from successfully committing this crime and receiving benefits to which they are not entitled.