Palos Area Getting Clobbered With Fraudulent Unemployment Claims

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — Unemployment scams are rampant in the Palos area and surrounding communities. The Palos Heights Police Department has fielded numerous complaints from residents who have reported receiving unsolicited debit cards from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Data breaches have plagued IDES since 1.45 million Illinois residents began filing for unemployment benefits since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to news reports. As recently as Tuesday, IDES reportedly sent the Social Security numbers of 11 people to a random guy in Chicago’s suburbs, CBS2 reported.

Scammers apply for unemployment benefits from IDES, often resulting in unsolicited debit cards being sent to Illinois residents. After a period of time, the scammers submit address changes to IDES and begin collecting benefits in the victim’s name. Residents don’t report receiving the unsolicited debit cards to local police or the IDES, could be held liable and required to reimburse the state for the stolen funds.

“Just this morning before 10 a.m. we had eight or nine complaints,” Palos Heights Deputy Chief Bill Czajkowski said on Tuesday.

If you receive an unsolicited debit card from IDES:

• Contact your local police department immediately to report that you have received an unsolicited debit card for unemployment benefits.
• Unsolicited debit cards can also be reported to IDES website or by calling 800-244-5631. (Some residents report having better luck reporting the unsolicited cards to police.)
• Card recipients should be cautious if they are solicited from anyone concerning their cards.
• Place a credit freeze or fraud alert to prevent future ID theft from happening.
• Report credit breaches to the three main credit bureaus. Card recipients need only to report one of the credit bureaus; once initially reported, the other credit bureaus will be notified:

• Experian, 888-397-3742
• Equifax, 800-525-6285
• TransUnion, 800-680-7289

“The victims of these frauds face potential harm,” Czajkowski said. “The personal information collected by the scammers may be used to commit other identity thefts and file other unemployment claims.”

Residents who believe they may have been the victim of an IDES scam, should call Palos Heights police at 708-448-5060.