Massachusetts Recovers Staggering Total From Fraudulent Unemployment Claims

New data from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance shows the state was able to recover $252 million in payments made through fraudulent unemployment claims.

Data shows Massachusetts received nearly 2.5 million claims for unemployment since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March and nearly 140,000 claims were considered fraudulent, a DUA spokesperson confirmed via Boston 25 News.

The widespread fraudulent claims are also having an effect on residents who actually qualify for unemployment receiving their necessary benefits, like Michael Gens of Everett, Massachusetts.

“I got a notice saying my benefits were on hold due to a phishing scam and fraud, etc. That was seven weeks ago,” Gens told Boston 25 News from his home, where he revealed he is almost two months behind in rent. “Somebody needs to do something. I don’t think people can just keep waiting like this."

In October, Boston 25 News reported hundreds of fraudulent claims were filed under the names of state and city workers. In December, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said her office was working alongside the FBI to investigate thousands of fraudulent claims, with many constituting as phishing scams conducted from outside of the Bay State.

The DUA was forced to go back and verify thousands of identities and "a large number of legitimate unemployment claims" was still being flooded by thousands of fraudulent claims recently as December, the department said.

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