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Unemployment-fraud reports running rampant in central Ohio
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With tax season in full swing, Ohioans are preparing their forms for filing or might already have filed.
For many, those forms include a 1099-G from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services if they lost their job or were furloughed during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and received unemployment assistance.
However, thousands of people across the state have reported receiving a 1099-G despite never opening an unemployment claim, a phenomenon that is part of recent widespread identity-fraud activity, according to central Ohio police departments and state agencies.
Patterns have emerged from community to community over the past several weeks.
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The Delaware Police Department said personal checks were stolen from a residence on the 100 block of Braddington Court and forged for a total of $13,000.
The loss was reported at 3 p.m. Feb. 9.
Police said fraudulent unemployment claims were filed using the identity of residents living on the:
• 300 block of North Franklin Street, reported at 10:56 a.m. Feb. 9
• First block of Brookwood Place, reported at 12:42 p.m. Feb. 9
• First block of Mara Avenue, reported at 1:40 p.m. Feb. 9
• 500 block of Thistle Drive, reported at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 9
• 300 block of Sylvan Drive, reported at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 9
• 200 block of West Lincoln Avenue, reported at 12:55 p.m. Feb. 8
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The Delaware Police Department said two vehicles were recovered after being reported stolen.
A van valued at $1,500 was taken on the 100 block of North Liberty Street, as reported at 7:21 a.m. Feb 6. The vehicle and a suspect were found later in Columbus.
An SUV valued at $5,000 was stolen on the 100 block of South Franklin Street, as reported at 7:45 a.m. Feb. 3. The Delaware County Sheriff s Office found the vehicle a few days later.
Police said a number of residents reported their identities were used to file fraudulent unemployment claims, a widespread scam in recent weeks across Ohio. The reports were taken on the:
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Paul Comstock
ThisWeek
Delaware Police Department Capt. Adam Moore said he can remember when people would say things must be bad if police officers are stationed in public schools.
Although police do enforce the law, that s not the only reason the department has two school resource officers assigned to Delaware City Schools, Moore said.
Their duties include making sure everybody s safe, physically safe, making sure the building s secure.”
“That s kind of the primary responsibility,” he said. “But beyond that, they also have an education piece where they re in the classroom, they re interacting with kids, they re providing education on many things that are kind of confronting kids these days that could be challenging, whether that be drugs and addiction issues or the internet or just personal safety, dating violence, a whole lot of things affecting kids, Moore said.