State Experiencing Surge of Fraudulent Unemployment Claims; Please Stay Vigilant

Dear Faculty and Staff:

Since March of last year, New York State has reported experiencing a significant increase in fraudulent unemployment benefit claims submitted on behalf of individuals. According to the New York State Department of Labor, as of Feb. 2., there have been over 425,000 fraudulent claims statewide. This includes multiple false claims filed in the names of Syracuse University employees. Fraudulent claims are being investigated by law enforcement at the federal, state and local level.

The University is taking all necessary precautions to identify potential fraudulent unemployment claim activity. Please be aware that:

• If you are personally impacted, you may receive notification from New York State with instructions about how to respond to a fraudulent unemployment claim.
• If the Office of Human Resources receives a potential fraudulent unemployment claim or inquiry on your behalf, HR Shared Services will contact you with further instructions.
• HR Shared Services is notifying New York State of all unemployment fraud cases that involve the University.
• If you become aware of an unemployment claim fraudulently filed on your behalf, please contact the New York State Department of Labor online.

Additional resources on safeguarding faculty and staff against fraud and identity theft can be found on the Office of Human Resources website. Please contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 or by emailing hrservice@syr.edu if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer