Unemployment fraud claims on the rise

  • January 12, 2021
  • Faculty and Staff

Steps you can take to protect your identity

There has been a rise in fraudulent unemployment claims attempting to exploit the overall increase in unemployment insurance claims associated with COVID-19, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) reports.   As many as 400,000 Coloradans have been affected.

Many Colorado fraud victims are alerted to the scheme by receiving a U.S. Bank ReliaCard in the mail when they have not filed for unemployment. If you receive a US Bank Reliacard for state unemployment benefits, please refer to https://cdle.colorado.gov/fraud-prevention for instructions. You can also call 855-279-1678.

Reports of fraudulent claims are widespread on both a state and national level and are not specific to Regis University. This fraud is not connected to the cyberattack or a breach or compromise of our systems. The information being used by the crime’s perpetrators likely came from a large data breach sometime in the last 10 years (Equifax, Target, Hilton, etc.). The CDLE suspects the scheme’s perpetrators are not stealing mail but instead working to get PIN numbers the state uses to pay out benefits. For more info, visit

Here are steps you can take to further protect your identity:

  • Protect yourself from identity theft with a fraud alert: You can do this whether someone has misused your personal information or even if you’re concerned about identity theft but haven’t yet become a victim. An alert can make it harder for an identity thief to open accounts in your name

  • Contact the three consumer credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number (SSN). It may be an automated system, so you may not talk to a live person and you will have to enter your SSN and date of birth.

    • Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

    • Experian: 1-888-397-3742

    • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

    The credit bureau you contact must put the alert on your credit report and tell the other two credit bureaus to do the same. There is no cost, and the alert will last one year. 

  •  Visit the Federal Trade Commission website for information and instructions to set up an alert.

  • Regularly review your credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus – each will look different and may contain different information. You can order a free credit report at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.

If you discover any incorrect or fraudulent information on a report, dispute it with that credit bureau. Normally, you can receive one free copy of your credit report each year from each credit bureau, however, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are currently offering free weekly online reports through April 2021.

  • Contact your financial providers (banks, credit card companies, and so on.) to flag irregular transactions.

  • Visit https://cdle.colorado.gov/fraud-prevention for additional information as to other steps you can take to further protect your identity.

  • Create a file where you can keep any records relating to this instance of identity theft in one central place, in case you are notified of other fraud or breaches of your personal information.

Additional tips:

  • Never give out personally identifiable information over the phone. CDLE will never contact you and ask for your Social Security number, bank account numbers, your PIN, account passwords, or any other personally identifiable information.

  • Human Resources will notify you directly if an unemployment claim is received for you and will provide you with specific instructions as to steps you will need to take.

  • If you receive a 1099-G, Certain Government Payments, in error, please contact the Colorado Division of Unemployment Insurance at 303-318-9000 or https://cdle.colorado.gov/unemployment/contact-us. 

Additional Resources:

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Human Resources at 303.458.4161 or via email at hrinfo@regis.edu.