Here's what you can do:
Step One: Report identity theft through the hotline or website.
If you receive an unemployment notification from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services regarding someone you don’t know, please notify us as soon as possible by calling our hotline at (833) 658-0394.
If you would like to report identity theft involving one or more of your employees, you can either use the hotline or complete this secure online form. If you use the online form, you will be prompted to download an Excel template, enter the requested data in the template (including your employees’ full Social Security numbers), and upload the file as instructed.
Step Two: Continue to respond to any “Request for Separation Information” notices that you receive from us.
Please respond timely to these notices and write "fraud/identity theft" on them so that we can investigate the claims and take appropriate actions. The most expedient way for employers to respond to Request for Separation forms is by responding via your online account or by using the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) portal.
Step Three: Share resources with your employees.
Please share the resources for individuals on this website with the employees at your organization. This web page includes a link to the IRS guidance regarding identity theft involving unemployment benefits and other measures individuals can take to protect themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I received a notification from ODJFS regarding someone I have never employed. What should I do?
A. Please notify us as soon as possible by calling our hotline: (833) 658-0394.
Q. I've received requests for separation information regarding employees who are still employed and who are currently working for my organization. What should I do?
A. Please respond timely to these notices and write "fraud/identity theft" on them so that we can investigate the claims and take appropriate actions. The easiest way for employers to respond to Request for Separation Information forms is online – either by logging into your Ohio Job Insurance account at unemployment.ohio.gov or by using the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) or SIDES E-Response. To learn more about SIDES and SIDES E-Response, visit jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/SIDES.stm. Either option is quick and easy.
Unfortunately, identity theft and unemployment fraud are widespread national challenges. We encourage you to let your employees know about the identity theft reporting portal and other
resources available at unemployment.ohio.gov. Both individuals and employers can report identity theft to ODJFS and access other resources by clicking on "I want to report ID Theft/Fraud" at unemployment.ohio.gov.
Q. Some of my employees have received 1099-G forms indicating that they received unemployment benefits, but they did not. What should they do?
A. Please visit unemployment.ohio.gov, and click on the "Report Identity Theft" button to report the names of affected employees and access other resources. This will allow us to investigate the claims that were filed and take appropriate actions, including correcting the 1099-G forms that they were sent.
Q. Some of our organization's employees have had fraudulent unemployment claims filed in their names. Will we be charged for any payments made on these claims?
A. For contributory (tax-paying) employers, once we determine that a claim is fraudulent, we mutualize any charges and remove them from the employer's account. Reimbursing employers (such as nonprofit and government agencies) should continue to pay bills for legitimate claims timely. We are not actively collecting reimbursing employer debt and are working with the U.S. Department of Labor to identify options for reimbursing employers who were billed for claims that have been determined to be fraudulent.