Unemployment Fraud

The best way to discover if you have been impacted by a fraudulent unemployment claim is to set up a WA ESD account. This will not initiate an unemployment claim, but will prohibit someone else from using your information to set up a fraudulent account. When you set up an account, if you receive an error message stating, "the SSN you entered already exists and is linked to this partially hidden email address," and you do not recognize that address, this indicates someone has set up a fraudulent account using your information. 

For Oregon residents, learn more here, and if you can identify the suspect of unemployment fraud, complete this online form. 

For Montana residents, learn more here.

Also, please monitor your physical mail, as communications from the ESD are triggered when a claim is filed.

If you believe a fraudulent unemployment claim has been submitted under your name, please follow the steps below.

Contact Human Resources

• Contact Joan.Wright@wallawalla.edu in Human Resources to coordinate and report the incident. As we become aware of any potential fraudulent claims, we will reach out as well.

Contact Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) by completing this online Report Imposter Fraud Form or calling: 800-246-9763.

• You will need the following information for identity verification:
  • Last 4 of your social security number (SSN)
  • Date of birth
  • Address
  • Current phone number
  • Information on how you learned a claim was filed on your behalf
  • Give them permission to deny and cancel any fraudulent claim that was filed using your information. (If you have a current valid claim open, login to your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account and change your password.)

Contact the Three Major Credit Bureaus

1. Experian: 888-397-3742
2. TransUnion: 800-680-7289
3. Equifax: 800-525-6285

• Obtain your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at www.annualcreditreport.com and review them for other fraudulent activities.
• Report to the credit bureaus the fraudulent claim using your identity and provide them with the case number from your police report (if you filed a police report.)
• A fraud alert is free and can be initiated by calling one of the 3 credit bureaus. The bureau you call is required to contact the other two bureaus.
• Check your credit activity at least once a year. As a victim of identity theft, you have the right to check it monthly, if you choose.
• Another free option is a credit or security freeze, which will offer more protection.This does not affect your credit score and can be temporarily lifted if you need to open a new account. To place a credit freeze, you will need to contact each of the three credit bureaus.
• For additional tips from the Washington State Attorney General, go to atg.gov/recovering-identity-theft-or-fraud

Resolution through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Employees, their household members, and their dependents (up to the age of 26) may contact our EAP, SupportLinc, for identity theft and fraud resolution at: 888-881-5462. EAP services are confidential and also extend to financial and legal concerns. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Use code: wallawalla.

Additional Reporting

• If you can identify the possible suspect of identity-theft, please file a non-emergency report for felony charges with the agency whose jurisdiction you live in. For College Place residents, call the College Place Police Department at: 509-529-1200.
• Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission and get a recovery plan. Get started at IdentityTheft.gov
• Keep a file folder with the information from this incident, including any case numbers, copies of emails, etc. to help provide a paper trail you can reference later.