If you are a victim of ID theft
Take the following steps:

• Submit the CTDOL ID Theft Report Form immediately.
• File a police report with your local police department. Obtain a copy of the report that you can provide to creditors and credit agencies.
• Change passwords on your email, banking, and other personal accounts.
• Make a list of credit card companies, banks, and other financial institutions where you do business. Tell them you are a victim of identity theft and ask them to put a fraud alert on your account.
• Get a copy of your credit report and dispute any fraudulent transactions. Check that all the accounts that are open are yours. You can request credit reports online from the 3 major credit reporting agencies:
• Equifax: 800-349-9960 or freeze your credit online
• Experian: 888-397-3742 or freeze your credit online
• TransUnion: 888-909-8872 or freeze your credit online
• Place a credit freeze with each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies by calling the agencies or freezing your credit online.
• Place a fraud alert on your credit file. You can do this by contacting just one of the credit agencies to add an alert with all three agencies.

CTDOL ID Theft Report Form >

Always Report Unemployment Insurance Fraud
The Unemployment Compensation Fraud Unit was established in the state’s Division of Criminal Justice to ensure proper payment of unemployment benefits and good stewardship of the Unemployment Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is paid for solely through taxes on employers; it’s vital for Connecticut business and industry that unemployment claims are paid out properly.

Remember: 
If you see unemployment fraud happening, please report it. Examples of unemployment fraud may be:

• someone who is working and collecting unemployment benefits;
• someone who is collecting unemployment benefits using an identity that is not their own; or
• someone who is giving false answers on the unemployment weekly certification form.

If you are a victim of identity theft and someone has used your identity to file for benefits, please let us know. 

CTDOL’s Integrity Unit can assist if someone has submitted an unemployment application in your name. Submit the ID Theft Report Form immediately.

If you suspect that someone is using your Social Security Number for work purposes, contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 to report the problem. They will review your earnings with you to ensure they are correct. You can also review earnings posted to your social security statement for workers 18 and older.

Additionally:

• The US Department of Justice National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) has an ID theft complaint form.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can also call the FTC at (877) ID-THEFT.

Always Be Fraud Aware
If you didn’t file for unemployment and received a 1099 form or monetary determination letter, you may be a victim of identity theft. Submit the CTDOL ID Theft Report Form immediately to report it. A CTDOL staff person will respond to your report. 

Vigilance is Essential 
If you didn't file a claim for unemployment benefits and any of the below happen, you may be a victim of ID theft. Please notify us immediately if you did not file for benefits and:

• You are still working, and you or your employer receive a request for information about an unemployment claim in your name.
• You receive a monetary determination letter.
• You receive a 1099G tax form.
• You receive unexpected unemployment benefits.

CTDOL ID Theft Report Form >

CTDOL ID Theft Report Form (Spanish) >

Many identity theft protection programs only flag issues for their customers if the issue is related to credit and banking.  An individual who has an identity protection service may not be notified if their identity is used to claim unemployment benefits because:

1. This system is separate from the banking system, and
2. UI information is highly confidential under state and federal law; therefore, states will not share their UI data with credit agencies.