CSPD warns of unemployment scam targeting public servants

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Over the course of the last year, there has been an overwhelming increase in unemployment fraud throughout the United States, with losses being reported in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars.  Now, the Colorado Springs Police Department is sending out a message to warn people of scams locally.

So far, Colorado Springs Police have not been able to tie the illicit activity to any specific group but say this scam is very much widespread. Scammers are attacking first responders, government personnel, and school employees by using their personal identifying information.

In fact, several employees of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office have already seen claims made without their knowledge.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office and Colorado Springs Police Department are aware of these schemes and are working with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the U.S. Secret Service to figure out how best to address these issues.

If you receive information about an unemployment claim you did not file, it is important that you do the following.

Go to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website to report the fraud. You will also need to report the fraud to the FTC via identitytheft.gov and then, file a police report. You will also want to create a file to keep any records related to the fraud and your efforts of trying to correct it all in one place.