Department of Labor cracks down on fraud

The New York State Department of Labor says it has prevented more than 42,000 fraudulent unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic.

Labor announced today that it has stopped more than 42,000 fraudulent unemployment claims since mid- march.

Department of labor officials say theives are using new yorkers' identities likely stolen during previous data breaches involving institutions like banks, insurance companies, and major employers to file fraudulent claims and illegally collect benefits in the name of individuals who are not unemployed.

In the last five months, the department of labor has referred more unemployment fraud cases to federal prosecutors than the department did in the last ten years combined.

The utica city school district has three