Responding to skyrocketing claims of Unemployment Insurance Fraud, the PA Department of Labor and Industry this week provided employers with helpful tips for reporting fraudulent claims.  When responding to a Notice of Claim Filed that you believe to be fraudulent, keep the following tips in mind:

• L&I does not need any of the person’s actual employment information for identity theft situations. The fields on the response form do not need to be completed unless the system requires it (e.g., start date, end date, termination date).
• The “Reason for Separation” field is always required. For identity theft claims, you should enter the reason as “Still working full-time.”
• For employers using the new benefits system, a step-by-step guide is available here.
• For employers not yet able to log into the new system but enrolled in SIDES, a guide is available here.
• Employers who have hired a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) for unemployment matters can disregard any Notices of Application as the administrator should handle this matter.

The Department also wants to remind employers:

• Appealing the financial determination is not the appropriate way to report a fraudulent claim. As the employer, you should respond to the claim notices but should not file a fraud report.
• Ultimately, you will not be charged for benefits paid to fraudulent, identity theft-related claims. Once benefits are denied, your account will be credited.

The Department also noted they are implementing additional verification processes for the UC claims process.  Earlier this year, L&I announced that it was expanding a partnership with ID.me, an identity verification vendor, to dissuade fraudsters targeting the UC system.