Good Afternoon,
I would like to share with you a potentially serious situation, we have seen recent evidence of people impersonating Washtenaw County Road Commission employees in an attempt to defraud the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. So far, we have received letters from the state asking to verify applications for unemployment for three employees, including myself. We have reported all fraudulent applications to the state. But this means that someone, somewhere has personal information for some of our employees including names, place of employment and social security numbers.
While this is disturbing news, I want to assure you that…
- Our IT systems remain strong and your personal data is safe with us. We have evaluated our systems both internally and by our managed services provider. We don’t see any evidence of a data breach on our end at this time.
- Your job with WCRC remains stable and layoffs are not currently on the table. As a result, no employee at WCRC is eligible to receive unemployment benefits.
- There are proactive steps you can take to protect against identity theft of all kinds. The Federal Trade Commission has quite a bit of information on identity theft including protecting your identity. Click here to learn more. Our Employee Assistance Program also offers financial planning assistance which includes identity theft protection. Click here to learn more (you may need to log-in as ‘Washtenaw County Road’”)
So far, we don’t believe there have been any financial consequences to our employees from these fraudulent actions, but we ask that everyone remain vigilant. If you receive suspicious looking mail at your home from the state, please contact HR for guidance.
This problem is not unique to us, this week the state has frozen more than 340,000 unemployment claims to investigate potential fraud. And states around the country are forming task forces to identify and prosecute those making fraudulent claims as well as attempting to recover millions of dollars that have been paid out in false claims. It is truly a shame that during this COVID-related economic crisis some people are trying to profit from a system that was intended to assist those most in need.
I will keep you informed of any future developments in this situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to HR or me.
Take care,
Sheryl
