LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — 13 Action News has received multiple messages from people who claim that their benefit card from Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation has been accessed illegally. 13 Action News asked DETR about these claims.
Why have so many people had their cards accessed illegally?
Bank of America has its own fraud team and protocols. We do not know that cards are being accessed illegally or if they are being frozen for suspected fraud.
We cannot speculate on the methods being used by scammers in order to commit fraud. We don’t have a report that aggregates the number of fraud issues, and as you know, cannot comment or provide any details about fraud or specific fraud measures and processes used in unemployment insurance.
How is anyone able to access BofA credit/ATM cards that are issued by the state of Nevada? How would they have the info to access those cards and accounts?
First and foremost, we acknowledge the distressing outcomes being experienced by Nevadans as a consequence of fraud. We continue to work with our banking partner in an ongoing effort to resolve these issues for claimants while protecting cardholders and the State from fraud. The agency will continue to focus on getting eligible Nevadans paid while addressing fraud in the State.
TIMELINE: Nevada Dept. of Employment and handling of pandemic unemployment claims
Where is the security?
DETR has had a variety of fraud protection measures in place from the beginning, and has continued to add staff and technology throughout the year as we have learned more. While the agency is criticized at times for unpaid claims, the fact is that the vast majority of unpaid claims were filed fraudulently.
As you know, unemployment fraud has been a rampant issue being experienced by states nationwide. We have security measures in place and continue to work address fraud in Nevada, including making improvements to our systems, investing in our fraud team to investigate the fraud that has occurred and working with our vendors, federal, state and local partners to combat fraud, all while processing claims to eligible Nevadans.
And how has nobody been caught? Or if there have been arrests, how many and when?
Hundreds of thousands of fraudulently filed claims have been stopped. DETR does not have the legal authority to arrest people.
This is under the auspices of U.S Department of Justice, District of Nevada Office:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/ten-defendants-charged-unemployment-insurance-fraud [justice.gov]
Are there any investigations of an inside job?
See response above.
RECENT STORIES
DETR says it is still working on problems with debit cards, Bank of America
