Identity Theft

Identity Theft

Administrative Office:  Records Building - 500 Elm Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7200, Dallas, TX 75202
Office: (214) 653-6100 • Fax: (214) 653-6315
E-mail: JJ.Koch@dallascounty.org

Has your personal information been misused to claim unemployment insurance benefits? Here is a checklist with recommendations made by the United States Federal Trade Commission.

REPORT THE FRAUD

• Report the fraud to the unemployment insurance agency in the state that issued the benefits. In Texas: https://www.twc.texas.gov/reporting-fraud
• Keep any confirmation or case number you get. If you speak with anyone, keep a record of who you spoke with and when.
• Follow the steps the agency tells you to take.
• Report the fraud to your employer. Keep a copy of any confirmation you get.
• Report the fraud to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by completing an NCDF Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form, or by calling 866-720-5721. 

PROTECT YOUR CREDIT

• Consider freezing your credit.
• Set a credit freeze by contacting each of the three national credit bureaus. Credit bureau contact information:
  Transunion - TransUnion.com/credit-help  or by calling 888-909-8872
  Experian - Experian.com/help  or by calling 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
  Equifax - Equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or by calling 800-685-1111
• If you decide not to place a credit freeze, place a fraud alert on your credit reports.

Place a free, one-year fraud alert by contacting one of the three national credit bureaus. Use the credit bureau contact information above. The credit bureau you contact must tell the other two.

A fraud alert is free. It will make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. When you have an alert on your report, a business must verify your identity before it issues new credit in your name. You can renew the fraud alert after one year.

• Get your free credit reports and review them for fraud.
  To get your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, visit AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
• Review your reports for fraud.
• Check your credit reports regularly at AnnualCreditReport.com. Through April 20, 2022, you can get a free credit report every week from each of the three national credit bureaus.

FILE YOUR TAX RETURNS

• When you file your federal tax return, you must report income you received, but you should not report income that you did not receive.
• Everyone who receives unemployment benefits should get an IRS Form 1099-G (Certain Government Payments), used for reporting the income on your tax returns. If you get a Form 1099-G but didn't collect any or all of the benefits listed on the form, visit the IRS website for the IRS's guidance on identity theft involving unemployment benefits.

To download this information as a PDF, click here.