Criminals Stealing Unemployment Benefits as Claims Surge

Criminals Stealing Unemployment Benefits as Claims Surge
A stock photo of police tape. Scott Olson/Getty Images
The Associated Press
Updated:

Criminals are seizing on a surge in job losses to steal unemployment benefits from Americans nationwide. This complicates an already tough situation for millions of financially strapped Americans and overwhelmed state unemployment offices.

While there’s no exact measure of how many fraudulent claims have been made, states from Washington to Maine say they’ve seen an increase, and numerous federal agencies are working to fight it.