DES Expands ID.me Identity Verification for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claimants — November 19, 2020

Summary

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) announced on November 19, 2020 that, beginning December 5, 2020, all Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants must verify their identities using ID.me before they will be eligible to receive or continue to receive benefits. DES says that since the launch of its initial partnership with ID.me on October 12, 2020, more than 11,000 Arizona users have successfully verified their identities and over 4,700 instances of unemployment insurance fraud have been blocked. It cites a decrease in suspected fraudulent initial claims from a record high of nearly 570,400 claims filed the week ending October 10 to just 6,700 the week ending November 12. DES says it has issued over $12.2 billion in assistance to over 2 million claimants since March.

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Full text

  DES Expands ID.me Identity Verification for
 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claimants
            Prevents Fraudulent Filings, Reduces Weekly
                   Initial Claims by Nearly 99%

PHOENIX ​– ​(November 19, 2020)​ Beginning December 5, 2020, the Arizona Department of
Economic Security (DES) will improve access to benefits for eligible unemployment claimants
and further strengthen its fraud prevention measures by requiring all Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance (PUA) claimants to verify their identities using ID.me, a safe and secure identification
portal, before they will be eligible to receive or continue to receive benefits. By implementing
this next phase of the enhanced identity verification program, DES can quickly identify the
eligible claimants among the millions of fraudulent claims filed.

On October 12, 2020, DES announced the launch of its ​initial partnership​ with ID.me,​ ​which
required new PUA claimants to verify their identities using the secure service upon filing their
initial claim. Since the launch, more than 11,000 Arizona users have successfully verified their
identities and over 4,700 instances of unemployment insurance fraud have been blocked. This
includes approximately 43,000 Bank of America accounts put on hold due to signs of potential
fraudulent activity, requiring account holders to verify their identities through ID.me to continue
to access funds. Of those accounts, less than one percent of account holders passed the
identity verification requirement.

Since March, DES has issued over $12.2 billion in assistance to over 2 million claimants and has
implemented numerous fraud prevention measures for unemployment benefit programs. DES
continues to work closely with data analytics companies, financial institutions, and state and
federal partners to review claims and identify those eligible for benefits, as well as those with a
high probability of fraud.

ID.me has verified more than 29 million users through partnerships with ten other states and
three federal agencies, including Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, to
ensure timely services while maintaining the integrity of public programs funded by taxpayers
and serves as an expedited pathway for Arizonans to receive PUA benefits. Implementation of
the service deters the massive amount of fraud that previously made it difficult for states to find
and process legitimate PUA claims. ID.me’s verification interface is safe, simple to use and the
process takes just minutes to complete. More information about ID.me can be found ​here​.
Due to the significant ​decrease in suspected fraudulent initial claims from a record high of
nearly 570,400 claims filed the week ending October 10, compared to just 6,700 the week
ending November 12 after the implementation of ID.me, DES is expanding this partnership to
detect fraud among ​existing​ claimants. This will increase the speed at which the Department
can process legitimate claims and ensure individuals eligible for benefits receive timely
payments​. As the nation continues to see an extraordinary number of fraudulent claims filed
using stolen personal information, this is the latest of many​ ​steps​ DES has taken to expedite
benefits to eligible claimants while also safeguarding taxpayer dollars and the integrity of
Arizona’s unemployment program.

PUA claimants will be notified through direct messaging within the PUA portal and through
email in advance of the next phase to provide them ample time to prepare the necessary
documentation. Claimants must use the unique ID.me link sent directly to them, as using a
shared link will not allow the claimant to verify their identity. After the claimant has successfully
verified their identity, they can continue filing their weekly certification. The ID.me service is
accessible and easy to use for almost all claimants. For claimants who are unable to verify their
identity through ID.me, they should contact DES right away to verify their identity with another
method. Claimants who have already verified their identities through ID.me will not have to go
through the process a second time.

For more information about unemployment insurance in Arizona, visit ​www.azui.com​.

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