Vermont Labor Department confirm suspicious activity: Here's some ways to protect yourself

Maleeha Syed
Burlington Free Press
Young woman at laptop reading some paperwork and holding her head

Suspicious activity occurred in the Green Mountain State's Unemployment Insurance Claimant System, according to the Vermont Department of Labor

Eight separate cases were identified by the department, which seem to revolve around personal information being wielded to get into the system. 

The labor department ensured it is watching out for all accounts — "and is verifying any account changes or suspicious activity directly with claimants," according to a news release The Agency of Digital Services also implemented "additional security measures and monitoring" in light of the incidents.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the matter. The release stated all of the claimants — who have been informed of the activity — have not "suffered the loss of any unemployment benefits."  

Protecting yourself from unemployment insurance fraud

There are a few different ways to spot unemployment insurance fraud, per the labor department's release and website:

  • Regularly check your claimant account.
  • Change your personal identification number (PIN) periodically.
  • Avoid using familiar number combinations (like your social security number's last four digits) when crafting a PIN.
  • If you do happen to have a PIN number that would be relatively easy to figure out (ex: 2222), call the UI Claimant Assistance Line (1-877-214-3332) to have it changed.
  • Check the activity on your other financial accounts (like credit cards and banks). 

If you think there is suspicious activity occurring on your claimant account, fill out a fraud notice on the department's website

Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89