BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Despite the pandemic, Buffalo school teacher Terra Bialy never stopped working. Which is why a letter saying she successfully applied for unemployment came as such a shock.
"My employers messaged me this morning saying they got a letter saying I filed for unemployment," Bialy said, "which is odd because I had been there two days ago."
"It's a little disconcerting to think someone was able to get that much accurate information," Bialy said.
Bialy is not alone, just last week Governor Andrew Cuomo said they are working to stop the fraud, while claiming New York is not suffering as much as others.
"Our level of fraud in the program is much much lower than in most states because we didnt rush it fast and did do verification as fast as we could >
This is something that Senate Republicans are pushing back on. Earlier Tuesday they called for the system to be fixed, while demanding to know exactly how many people have been wrongfully filed for unemployment.
"They'll tell us how much fraud has been prevented, but not how much fraud has occurred," State Senator George Borrello said, "other states know how much has been done, New York State does not."
If you received a letter from the New York State Department of Labor about unemployment benefits that you have not filed for, you could be a victim of unemployment insurance fraud, and you can report it here.
Fill out the information as best as you can, and include your contact information - all of this will remain confidential. They encourage you to check your bank account regularly and make sure there isn't someone getting your benefits. You can also call the DOL's hotline: (888) 598-2077.
