ALBANY, N.Y. (WKBW) — Three days after announcing a "mechanical error" lead to several New Yorkers receiving someone else's information in a Department of Labor unemployment insurance mailing it's known the mailing in question happened over four dates.
Those with a mailing from March 31st, April 2nd, April 8th and April 21st is entitled to free credit monitoring and identity theft protection out of an abundance of caution. The machine in question has now been taken out of service.
Originally, the error was thought to have impacted a "limited number" of New Yorkers. Secretary to Governor Cuomo, Melissa DeRosa, estimated about three dozen at a press conference Monday. By Wednesday, the Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said that number jumped to 114. Several Western New Yorkers in this situation, like these brothers and Buffalo-area mother of two, reached out to 7 Eyewitness News after not hearing from the state. All three heard from the state after 7 Eyewitness News reached out on their behalf.
Commissioner Reardon spoke more on the situation in a press call Wednesday afternoon.
The NYS Department of Labor released this statement from Deanna Cohen:
"Out of an abundance of caution and care for our fellow New Yorkers, we are offering free credit monitoring and identity theft surveillance to everyone who was included in this mailing, regardless of if they were affected or not. We are proactively reaching out to these individuals by email or phone, explaining how to sign up for the monitoring services, and providing them with a specific point of contact at DOL for related questions."
