WESTERN SPRINGS – With rising cases of attempted unemployment fraud, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) warned residents to contact the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) if they receive benefit cards they did not apply for.

“Scammers are taking advantage of this crisis and trying to line their pockets with money meant to help working families,” Glowiak Hilton said. “If you receive an unemployment benefit card in the mail and did not apply, do not activate it and please report it to IDES.”

Last week residents across the state reported receiving KeyBank debit cards and unemployment letters in the mail even though they did not apply. IDES says that individuals who received these mailings may be victims of identity theft or fraud. The target of this fraud is suspected to be the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Ambiguous guidelines for the program and hasty development may have left the program vulnerable to scammers.

Individuals who received these cards in the mail should not activate the debit card under any circumstances and should instead immediately contact IDES at 800-814-0513 to report identity theft. Victims of fraud should also review their credit reports for possible suspicious activity.