Scammers are filing claims under the names and information of Floridians who have collected unemployment, even if they didn’t give it to them directly.
Kate Larsen from Naples told us she accidentally gave out her personal information on a call she thought came from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
“I noticed that the phone call was from San Antonio, Texas, and I’m like, ‘Oh, gosh, I think this was a mistake,’” Larsen said.
Nine months after Larsen stopped collecting unemployment benefits, she got swept up in a scam.
“I had received a letter from unemployment that I needed to do something,” Larsen said. “But I’ve been so busy that I hadn’t been able to go in and do that, and so I thought that this was part of that.”
DEO waives work search, work registration requirements through May 29
Published: April 27, 2021 6:59 PM EDT
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity confirmed Tuesday it will waive the work search and work registration requirements through May and the waiting week requirement through June 26, among other updates to Florida unemployment.
But it’s likely the last time.
After then, you must register and enter job searches into the system to qualify for benefits. #FloridaUnemployment@winknewspic.twitter.com/eyJDPoPrHh
According to the DEO press release:
When the waiver expires, claimants must submit work searches for every week of state or federal benefits requested. Additionally, new claimants who file after the expiration of the waiver must complete the work registration through Employ Florida