Washington Pauses Unemployment Payments To Investigate Fraud

[thinkingagain]

2. This happened to my sister

Back in March the beginning of the Covid layoffs. She was still working and said her HR person contacted her shared the info from ESD and said "do you have something to tell me" So then she had to do the ID theft stuff.
They knew her start date and everything.
Could not get unemployment people to tell her anything. They told her that info was private. Afraid people would show up at the thieves doors.
The police told her that if she had more info to share with them they could put a detective on the case.
ESD told her they look at them but there is really nothing they can do.
When you file you need to create a SAW acct, your name address email phone number start and end dates hours worked, SS# and bank if you have direct deposit.
So even if they are using peoples info they should be able to track down thieves using the fake address and bank info.
I can't understand why the police could not talk to ESD to track down these people. Even if the ESD can't share with the victim.
I am in the belief that peoples information is to easily gotten from people finder websites. Along with other public information sites.
Or if your a public employee requests can be made that forces the agencies them to give the names, addresses, birthdates, phone numbers, email etc of the all the employees/
It doesn't take much to build a profile making ID theft easy.
Then you throw in something like the Premera breach more info to add to that.
Possibly had the ESD acted back in March they would not be having such a problem now.