State Reports Uptick in Phishing Schemes Related to Unemployment Claims

The state is warning residents about an increase in fraudulent schemes targeting those filing for unemployment benefits.

A news release from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced it has received a substantial uptick in reports of phishing schemes tied to unemployment insurance claims. The scams attempt to impersonate the DLIR unemployment system in the form of text messages, emails and social media posts seeking personally identifiable information.

“These phishing texts try to trick you into clicking on a link that takes you to a fake website that may look very real, some of the websites are virtually indistinguishable from ours except that the website address is incorrect,” said DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio in the news release. “The fake website will ask you to input your website credentials and personal information that the criminals can use to steal unemployment insurance benefits or for other identity theft schemes.”

To view the real Hawai’i unemployment insurance benefits website, click here. The DLIR does not send text messages asking for personal information.

To report fraud attempts, call the Unemployment Insurance Call Center at 808-762-5751 or 5752 and select option 4. You can also report fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by calling 866-720-5721.

For more information, click here and here.