Fraudulent Unemployment Claims and Identity Theft

IMPORTANT: Information about Fraudulent Unemployment Claims and Identity Theft 

The state of Massachusetts has reported an increase in fraudulent unemployment claims. As reported by the state earlier this year, “Criminal enterprises in possession of stolen personal information from earlier national data breaches have been attempting to file large amounts of illegitimate unemployment claims through the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) system. This is part of a national unemployment fraud scheme.” 

There have been no breaches of Tufts University systems.  However, Tufts employees can still be the targets of fraudulent unemployment claims.

If a fraudulent unemployment claim is filed in your name, you may receive mailings at your home from the DUA about the claim. 

If you are notified or receive notification of a claim in your name that you did not initiate, you should take these immediate steps to protect your identity:

  1. Report the fraudulent claim to the DUA at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-unemployment-insurance-fraud where there is a “Fraud Reporting Form”. It is essential that you file this report; otherwise, an undisputed claim will cause you to be taxed for income you did not receive. 
  2. Report the claim to Tufts Support Services (TSS) by emailing TSS@tufts.edu. TSS will also notify the DUA and Tufts’ claims management vendor to dispute the claim and correct the record.
  3. Follow the suggested steps to protect yourself presented on the mass.gov website at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/report-unemployment-benefits-fraud.

If you need additional help or you have any questions, contact the DUA Customer Service Department at (877) 626-6800 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. 

Watch for notices in the mail from the DUA and pay close attention to the 2020 tax forms you receive. If you receive a 1099-G form for unemployment compensation you did not receive, please contact immediately DUA Customer Service Department at (877) 626-6800.

TSS and Human Resources review all DUA reports as they are received and will notify affected individuals if a fraudulent claim is suspected (i.e., if a claim is filed while the employee is still employed by the university) and direct them to resources to protect their credit, correct tax records and alert the appropriate agencies.