 TITLE: Unemployment Scams to Watch Out For CONTENT: How Fraudsters Exploit the Rise in Unemployment\n-----------------------------------------------\nThe credentials used by unemployment scammers are basically the same ones cybercriminals target through a host of tried-and-true techniques aimed at fooling victims into giving up their personal information. Data obtained through social manipulation, theft or from another fraudster can be used to file unemployment claims, but the FBI reports that thieves have also come up with some fresh approaches that exploit the rise in unemployment, such as:\n*   **Email or phone solicitations** concerning your unemployment forms when you haven't applied for unemployment benefits. Once you've filed an unemployment claim, it's possible you'll receive follow-up questions about information you've submitted, but if you receive a \"follow-up\" when you haven't filed, there are two potential problems:\n1.  1.  The follow-up is from a legitimate government agency, responding to a claim someone else has filed a claim in your name; or\n    2.  The inquiry is from a scammer trying to get you to give up information they'd need to file a bogus unemployment claim.\n*   **Services that purport to help you** file for unemployment. Filing for unemployment benefits is something you must do individually, and if you need assistance doing so, you should contact your local unemployment office. Companies that claim to help with the process and possibly charge fees to do so are simply after your money and\/or your personal information. They won't do anything for you that you couldn't do yourself for free.\n*   **Bogus websites or social media accounts** that resemble those of unemployment agencies. Links to these bogus outlets may be shared via legitimate-looking emails or in the form of official-looking memes or image files. Double-check all URLs for appropriate \".gov\" extensions. If you do wish to contact a specific agency, directly visit your state or municipality's main government homepage, rather than clicking stray links.\n*   **Unauthorized transactions** on your bank or credit card statements attributed to unemployment agencies, services or benefits. END