Some area police departments, including Howland and Austintown, are seeing an uptick in the number of identity fraud cases being filed by residents.

People are saying someone unknown is filing for pandemic unemployment claims in their names and claiming the government funds.

A 70-year-old Warren retiree, for example, was notified by U.S. Bank and a debit card agency called Bluebird that cards were illegally opened in her name as part of a pandemic unemployment claim scam. The woman now worries about the information out there about her and her credit.

“I received a card from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services that I filed in claim in December,” she said. “I contacted the three credit bureaus, and they are putting security alerts on my record.”

The former secretary retired in 2018 and never requested to get unemployment.

“These people are targeting senior citizens,” she said. “I just got a letter from American Express today about me applying for a card from them.”

“I don’t trust anyone anymore,” she continued. “These government agencies should be more accountable and make sure our credit reports are not messed up.”

Howland police Chief Nick Roberts said from Jan. 1 to 14 the department received 13 complaints from residents saying their identities had been used fraudulently to obtain unemployment insurance claims.

“This is due to the pandemic,” Roberts said. “Identity thieves are obtaining personal information and filing for benefits.”

Of the 13 filed in his department during this period, Roberts said at least five were residents saying they received a 1099 form from the state saying they received unemployment claims in 2020. These five report having a combined $19,132 stolen from those using fraudulent information.

Others reported having accounts opened in their names but nothing placed on them.

Roberts said investigation of these cases is difficult for local police departments, because they generally have no idea who the perpetrators are.

“We are telling people to act quickly in filing reports to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and contact all of the credit agencies, so flags can be placed on their reports,” Roberts said.

Austintown police Lt. Jordan Yacovone also said there’s been a significant increase in the number of identity fraud cases being reported to the department.

“Honestly, this is something that likely has been happening across the state, not just here,” Yacovone said.

Yacovone added that reports should be sent to the state’s fraud hotline.

Last month, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked Congress to protect Ohioans who had fraudulent umemployment claims filed in their names, shielding them from having to pay taxes on benefits that they never received.

“Construction workers, daycare providers, service industry workers — the backbone of this state — have worked hard throughout the pandemic. Now the government is going to ask them to pay taxes on money they did not receive — it is not right,” Yost said.

Yost, according to his office, believes there is enough evidence of fraud to notify Ohio’s Congressional delegation that it should suspend tax collection efforts and pause fees or interest from taxes owed on the claims until they are investigated.

Yost requested Congress:

∫ Exclude the amount from the income from the taxpayer for the year until a final determination is made on whether they received the unemployment insurance;

∫ If determined valid, not charge penalties and interest; and

∫ If invalid, the unemployment compensation administrator shall indicate the 1099 was issued in error and assist taxpayers in making any corrective action necessary to modify their reported income to the Internal Revenue Service.

rsmith@tribtoday.com