The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Dr. Tamika L. Ledbetter announced recent reports of fraudulent text and email messages being sent to Alaskans regarding unemployment insurance. The fraudulent messages advise the recipients their benefits cannot be paid due to incorrect information on file and instruct individuals to click on provided links to resolve the issue.
The Federal Trade Commission says that scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. They could try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or social security numbers. The FTC says that if they do get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Scammers often update their tactics, but there are some signs that will help you recognize a fraudulent email or text message. The emails or text messages may look like they’re from a company that you know or trust. They also often tell you a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment.
The Alaska Unemployment Insurance program reports that they are not sending these fraudulent text and email messages. The department has noted that senders include, but may not be limited to, the following:
- [email protected] (claiming to be part of the myAlaska team)
- Texts from (240) 357-6842 to follow this link: http://tfatt.com/myalaska.gov
If you have questions regarding your UI claim, contact one of the call centers directly at one of the numbers below:
- Anchorage: (907) 269-4700
- All other areas: (888) 252-2557
For more information and ways to recognize and avoid these types of scams, click here.
