Illinois AG Kwame Raoul issues unemployment debit card fraud warning

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has issued an alert about unemployment fraud and identity theft.

Attorney General Raoul said his office has received dozens of complaints from people who have learned that someone applied for unemployment benefits in their name.

A couple of weeks ago, the I-Team also started getting calls from viewers who said they received ides debit cards in the mail, but never applied for benefits. ABC7 has since received more than 100 complaints.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warns of massive unemployment debit card fraud scheme

"People should be on the lookout for a letter approving them for unemployment benefits they never requested because it likely means that an identity thief applied for benefits using their name and Social Security number," Raoul said. "I strongly encourage people to visit the Attorney General's website or call my office's toll-free hotline for help protecting themselves from identity theft."

Illinois unemployment IDES debit card fraud a growing concern for police

Nearly a dozen people contacted the ABC7 I-Team about receiving unemployment benefits even though they never actually applied for unemployment.

Last week, Governor JB Pritzker warned the public if you get an IDES card but didn't apply, you should not activate the card.

People who receive the cards should call the Illinois Department of Employment Security at 800-814-0513 and contact the Illinois Attorney General's office's website or call the office's hotline Identity Theft Hotline at 1-866-999-5630.