Tens of thousands of unemployment claims filed in Michigan are suspected of fraud, the state unemployment agency said. State: $11.4 billion paid out in unemployment to more than 2 million people
The UIA says it has received more than 58,000 reports of unemployment identity theft and fraud since March 15. More than 25,000 have come since June 1.
More than 90,000 of the 200,000 new claims flagged as potentially fraudulent have been cleared, with around 110,000 remaining.
The UIA says it is working with fraud experts, forensic accountants and law enforcement to identify legitimate claimants and release benefits as quickly as possible.
“Our focus remains on getting 100% of eligible Michigan workers 100% of the benefits they deserve. We are using every available resource to verify the identity of legitimate claimants whose payments are held due to increased criminal activity, including 850 dedicated employees and newly formed advanced analytics team,” UIA Director Steve Gray said in a release.
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