Unemployment Insurance Fraud

A Detroit, Mich., woman is facing charges for defrauding the state of Michigan all from the comfort of her couch. Brandi Hawkins is charged with wire fraud and money laundering. She is also accused of defrauding the state of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA)...

When Joe Walsh wrote the song, “Life’s Been Good,” he said his Maserati did 185.  We’re not positive if Jamie Johnson’s Maserati could go that fast, but one thing is for sure, she used hers to drive around to Capital Region area banks in...

While fraudsters are generally selfish and greedy people, they tend to be very patient when orchestrating a scam. A San Francisco Bay area resident bided his time while secretly working to steal a quarter of a million dollars in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme. (Fortunately, the...

Fraudsters often see their state’s unemployment programs as an opportunity to fraudulently receive funds by applying for benefits using stolen or fake information. (This is especially true during the coronavirus pandemic.) Two Michigan residents have been charged for their roles in a scheme to defraud...

Smoked salmon had a part to play in today’s “Fraud of the Day” article. A Gouldsboro, Maine woman, who was on the hook for embezzling money from a smoked salmon seafood business she managed, also committed unemployment fraud while working at a café/deli in...

Unemployment insurance provides benefits and wage replacement through the state to those who are unable to secure employment through no fault of their own. Of course, this excludes fraudsters who are looking to make a quick buck off those less fortunate. Fraudsters often lie...

Everyone has a vice, whether it be procrastination, bingeing on Netflix, spending too much time on social media, or something much worse. A Waterbury, Connecticut man, who admitted he had a heroin habit, conspired with his ex-wife to support this bad habit by lying...

In order to legally collect unemployment benefits in California, an individual must have past earnings that meet certain minimum thresholds; be unemployed through no fault of their own; and, be able, available and actively seeking a job. An Anaheim, California woman circumvented this well-defined process by...

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act helps provide emergency financial assistance, including expanded unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to people suffering from the economic struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joseph Ransome, 51, of Indian Trail, N.C., filed for and received unemployment benefits,...

Ronald Smith of Virginia Beach has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and fraudulently collecting federal unemployment benefits. The wire fraud charge is in response to his involvement in an internet scam that stole $1,287,000 from 1,700 victims. (Smith was convicted for a similar scam...