Watch Out for Illinois Department of Employment Security Scams

A warning has been issued to Illinois residents regarding unemployment fraud and identity theft in response to several complaints to the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul recently issued an alert stating that if you received an IDES debit card but did not apply for unemployment, you may be a victim of the scam.

The debit card is usually accompanied by a letter approving you for unemployment benefits. If you receive this but never applied for benefits through IDES, you should contact the IDES at 1-800-814-0513, visit the IDES website to report it online, or reach out to the Attorney General’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-866-999-5630.

It is important that you do not activate the card.

Please contact our team with questions. We are always here to help.