Important Reminder: Fraud Warnings from Va. Employment Commission
New Update on Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) Fraud Reporting Contact
Many state employees have been notified that a claim for Unemployment Insurance has been fraudulently made in their name. They are also saying that they are not hearing back when they submit an email as instructed. If you don’t hear back from VEC, you may go to their website https://www.vec.virginia.gov. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and under Unemployment Insurance, click Fraud Alert. On this page, you will find lots of helpful information on Unemployment Insurance Fraud, including the Fraud/Theft/Overpayment Form, which you can submit online. If you have questions or need assistance completing or submitting the form, call 1-800-782-4001. If you have a question about your fraud claim, reach out to the Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363. Read below for the background on this issue.
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New Fraud Warnings from Virginia Employment Commission
IMPORTANT: Information regarding fraudulent unemployment claim submissions was communicated back in July 2020. The original communication to address any fraudulent claims is provided below as a reminder, along with information communicated in March 2021 regarding 1099 tax documents received in relation to those fraudulent claims. Additional information (see below) has been added to this reminder, which includes VEC Customer Service Contact number and information on what to do if you suspect you are a victim of identity theft.
Previous Notice (July 2020)
The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is aware of the difficulty individuals are experiencing in successfully contacting them through the recommended toll-free number. They have provided new guidance for individuals to report fraudulent claims (see the numbered list below).
NOVA has received word from the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) that unemployment claim benefit letters are being sent to some individuals who are actively employed and have not filed unemployment claims, including some employees who have even been informed of their “unemployment benefit qualified amounts.”
While we do not know the details or reasoning for these invalid claims, employees receiving related correspondence from the VEC who did not file for benefits should note the following:
- State employees that suspect fraud may email Roy Bryant, an Unemployment Compensation Supervisor with the VEC.
- Employees should provide their full name, the last 4 digits of their SSN and the best daytime phone number where they can be reached. (When possible, we suggest these emails be encrypted.)
- Send an email to NOVA’s Employee Relations at employeerelations@nvcc.edu, advising that a fraudulent claim was submitted on the employee’s behalf. Do not include any notifications received.
As a reminder, there are also multiple scams circulating during these times. Most legitimate organizations will not ask for personal information over the phone such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, dates of birth, etc. Please be vigilant and do not provide sensitive information over the phone or in the body of email messages.
Previous Notice (March 2021)
From the Office of the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management, www.dhrm.virginia.gov, 101 N. 14th Street, 12th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219
Tax Statements for Unemployment Insurance Claims
It has come to our attention that some state employees have received tax statements for Unemployment Insurance claims filed in their name as a matter of identity theft. These employees should visit the link below and complete two actions.
- Complete the online fraud/identity theft report form that can be found on the web page linked below.
- Complete the request for a corrected 1099 in accordance with the instructions listed on the website.
https://www.vec.virginia.gov/node/12663
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Virginia Employment Commission: Reporting Fraud Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363
Reporting Unemployment Insurance Fraud | Virginia Employment Commission
If you suspect you have been a victim of identity theft, please review steps to take from the Office of the Attorney General at: Identity Theft (state.va.us)
Submitted by:
Charlotte Calobrisi, AVP of HR, CCalobrisi@nvcc.edu