In the latest Weekly Wright Report:

• Record Numbers of Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Filed in Maryland Since January 2021 – read now

Record Numbers of Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Filed in Maryland Since January 2021

The Maryland Department of Labor issued a press release on February 11, 2021 confirming that over 156,000 potentially fraudulent unemployment benefit claims were detected since the beginning of this year.

Of the 243,186 new claims filed in Maryland since January 1, 2021, over 64% have been flagged as being potentially fraudulent. Of the 161,897 out-of-state claims that have been identified as potentially fraudulent, 90% have either failed to upload verification documents requested or the documents provided were reviewed and denied.

The Department recently e-mailed all employers about potentially fraudulent charges appearing on their fourth quarter benefit charge statements because of an increase in the number of claims fraudulently filed in the names of people who are actively working. The agency stated that employers will not be charged for any fraudulent benefits associated with their accounts and that all employers should carefully review their current and previous benefit charge statements to ensure that all claimant benefits charged to their account are accurate.

If an employer believes a fraudulent claim has been charged to their account, they should immediately file a benefit charge protest through their employer portal.

Individuals who believe their information has been used to fraudulently file an unemployment insurance claim, should complete a Request for Investigation of Unemployment Insurance Fraud.

If you have additional questions about how you should address this issue, contact our Employment & Labor Law Group.

Want more? Visit the Weekly Wright Report page to browse past issues.