Attorney General Raoul Announces Attorney General’s Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud

Summary

A press release of the Illinois Attorney General dated January 8, 2021, announcing that Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office is partnering with the FBI to establish the Attorney General's Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud. It lists the task force members, including the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Illinois State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service. It quotes Raoul, FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr and IDES Acting Director Kristin Richards. According to IDES, the increase in identity theft unemployment fraud can likely be attributed to large corporate data breaches, and IDES has stopped more than 350,000 fraudulent claims.

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“Attorney General Raoul Announces Attorney General’s Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-01-21-attorney-general-raoul-announces-attorney-general-s-task-fo-ea13e91dc0/, SHA-256 8b71693334ca6de3f6403f2b5aa3dd40dffa83c5d561eed5eacab2b662856c85.

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For Immediate Release                                       Contact:
January 8, 2021                                             PressOffice@atg.state.il.us
                                                            217-785-5726
                                                            @ILAttyGeneral

   ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES ATTORNEY GENERAL’S TASK
          FORCE ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS FRAUD
  Task Force To Facilitate State, Federal Action Against Unemployment Insurance Benefits
                                           Fraud

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced his office is partnering with the
FBI to establish the Attorney General’s Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud.
The task force will for the first time allow state and federal resources to be deployed on a large
scale to combat unemployment insurance benefits fraud.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Raoul’s office has received and investigated complaints
related to unemployment insurance benefits fraud. The aim of the task force is to enhance
collaboration among state and federal agencies investigating and prosecuting forms of
unemployment benefits fraud. In addition to the Illinois Attorney General’s office and the FBI,
the task force will be made up of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Illinois
State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Illinois Department
of Revenue, the Internal Revenue Service, as well as the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
and the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association.

“The Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud will for the first time allow a
broad coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement to collaborate and share resources and
address widespread unemployment insurance benefits fraud,” Raoul said. “I appreciate the FBI
dedicating the needed resources and look forward to working with our partner agencies to
investigate and hold accountable those who steal federal funding that is intended to help
residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“While the citizens of Illinois have worked to regain financial stability after last year’s
tumultuous job market, criminals have sought to do them harm,” FBI Special Agent in Charge
Emmerson Buie Jr said. “With today’s announcement of a joint unemployment task force, we
commit to working with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that those who would
steal resources from our most vulnerable are brought to swift justice.”
“Bad actors have taken advantage of a global pandemic that has pushed desperate people to
unemployment insurance agencies for economic relief,” IDES Acting Director Kristin Richards
said. “While this massive fraud scheme has redirected the valuable man-hours and resources the
Department would be better served to use assisting claimants, IDES remains committed to
detecting and shutting these claims down and will continue to support law enforcement’s efforts
to find the fraudsters behind these crimes.”

“The Illinois State Police are here to coordinate, facilitate and share intelligence on fraudulent
activity,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said. “It is through multi-jurisdictional
partnerships such as these that will allow us to better combat and contain this criminal conduct.”

“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations relating to
unemployment insurance fraud. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to
investigate these types of allegations,” Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region,
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General said.

“As the 2021 tax filing season nears, the Illinois Department of Revenue remains focused on
preventing fraudulent income tax refunds, including those perpetrated through unemployment
insurance claims.” Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris said. “We look forward
to working with our state and federal partners on Attorney General Raoul’s Task Force to end
this criminal activity and assist victims of fraudulent claims.”

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), the increase in identity
theft unemployment fraud can likely be attributed to large corporate data breaches and is not the
result of any state system breaches. These breaches compromised personal information including
Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, names, dates of birth, credit card numbers
and addresses – information individuals must provide when applying for loans or lines of credit,
or during other interactions.

Currently, state unemployment agencies throughout the nation are battling widespread fraud by
individuals seeking to steal federal money. Using personal information obtained as a result of
data breaches, thieves are applying for unemployment insurance benefits for which they are not
eligible. The IDES strongly encourages anyone who has received notice that an unemployment
insurance claim has been fraudulently filed in their name to immediately report the claim to the
department via its website or by calling 800-814-0513. To date, the IDES has stopped more than
350,000 fraudulent claims.

Attorney General Raoul encourages individuals who think their personal or financial information
has been compromised to take steps to protect themselves. People should closely monitor credit
reports, consider requesting a fraud alert by contacting one of the three nationwide credit
bureaus, consider placing a freeze on credit reports, and closely review and monitor all financial
accounts for any unauthorized charges.

Additional information on how to protect yourself from potential identity theft is available free
of charge on the Illinois Attorney General’s website. Residents can also call the Attorney
General’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-866-999-5630 for assistance.
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