This press release was upated to reflect reports to the Department regarding phishing scams related to both unemployment insurance and workers' compensation
Montpelier, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Labor has received multiple reports of fraudulent communications relating to unemployment insurance and workers' compensation benefits being sent to Vermonters. The Department reminds Vermonters to be diligent in preventing fraud and to report any potential fraud to the Department of Labor and Attorney General’s Office.
On Monday and early Tuesday morning, the Department received information detailing different communications in which the senders fraudulently state that ‘eligible workers’ could ‘receive COVID-19 Benefits’ from ‘the Department of Labor’.
Text Message
- Sent from ‘tiona.sykes @lcmchealth. org’
- Details how the Department will pay eligible workers $3,750 in COVID benefits and compensation, starting on Tuesday November 24, 2020
- Provides fraudulent link to ‘Register’ and ‘Apply’
Email - Unemployment Insurance
- Sent from ‘Hao Ran Xia <978269 @learn.vsb .bc.ca>’
- Details how the Department will pay eligible workers $3,750 in COVID benefits and compensation, starting on Monday, November 23, 2020
- Provides link to ‘COVID-19 Benefits’ page to register
Email - Workers' Compensation
- Individuals sent fraudulent communications in which they were provided with a link to an application/web form, instructing them to 'file for COVID-19 workers compensation benefits'
- Link may appear as a 'bitly' link or may be directly to 'COVID-19 compensation and benefits'
- Communications fraudulently state that 'eligible workers' are eligible to 'recieve $3750'
The Department is currently working with the State IT security team, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, State Police, and multiple federal law enforcement agencies to respond to this issue.
Vermonters are reminded to be vigilant of potential fraud and only use its official website (labor.vermont.gov), and sub-pages, to apply or file for unemployment insurance benefits and for accurate information on workers' compensation benefits.
To report suspected fraud activity to the Department of Labor, and for more information on prevention, go to labor.vermont.gov/ui-fraud.