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When my brother had a similar situation happen, he went to the nearest EDD office in person with his ID and the letter. They were able to look it up immediately and confirm it was fraud. They had him fill out some paperwork right there and canceled the fake claim. Much faster than trying to deal with the phone system! Just Google your nearest EDD office and show up when they open.
After you get this resolved, make sure to take these additional steps: 1. File an identity theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov 2. Place a fraud alert with all three credit bureaus 3. Review your credit reports for any other suspicious activity 4. Continue monitoring your EDD account for any further unauthorized claims 5. Consider filing Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) with the IRS to prevent tax-related issues Identity theft involving unemployment claims has been rising since 2020, and sometimes old data breaches can lead to fraud years later.
Thank you so much for this detailed advice. I was able to reach an EDD rep this morning (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it actually worked!). They confirmed someone tried filing a claim using my info. They've flagged my account and are sending me paperwork to officially report the fraud. I'm going to follow all your steps to protect myself further.
Wait I'm confused... is a backdate interview different from an eligibility interview? I had an eligibility interview last month but they never mentioned anything about backdating. I did request backdated weeks when I first applied though. Should I have gotten a separate interview just for the backdate request?
Yes, they're different. An eligibility interview covers your general qualification for benefits (job separation, ability to work, etc.). A backdate interview specifically addresses why you didn't file your claim on time and whether you have good cause for backdating. If you requested backdated weeks but haven't had a backdate interview, you should call EDD to check on the status of that request.
Update for the original poster: Based on current EDD processing times, you should receive a determination by the end of this week (around the 17-20 day mark). If not, it's reasonable to start calling for a status update. It's important to understand that backdating requires proving "good cause" for not filing on time. Technical issues can qualify as good cause if you can demonstrate you attempted to file. The fact that the interviewer seemed understanding is a positive sign. If you don't receive any updates by the 3-week mark, then calling EDD becomes your best option. Be prepared to call multiple times due to high call volume.
Thank you - this timeline helps a lot. I'll wait until end of week before I start really worrying. I definitely had good cause - I have screenshots showing the error messages I got when trying to submit originally, so I hope that helps my case. I appreciate all the support from everyone here!
UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! I used that Claimyr service to get through this morning and spoke with a Tier 2 specialist. Turns out my claim WAS under quarterly review - you were right! The specialist said January is when they conduct a lot of these reviews, and mine got flagged because I had some part-time work in October. Once she verified everything, she manually released the payment and said it should be on my Money Network card within 24-48 hours. She also said if I hadn't called, it might have taken another week to clear automatically. Thanks everyone for the help!
Thanks for the update!!! I'm going to try that service too because I'm STILL waiting and getting desperate. Glad you got your money!!!
So glad you got this figured out! This is exactly why I recommended looking into quarterly reviews earlier. It's frustrating that EDD doesn't notify people when their claims are under review - would save everyone a lot of stress and confusion. Your experience will definitely help others who find themselves in the same situation.
After thinking about this more - I wonder if the issue might be that your check stubs only verified part of the period they're questioning. When they say "November 14th and on" - how far do your check stubs go? If your last day was in December or January, but you only had stubs through mid-December, that might be the gap they're concerned about.
Tom Maxon
To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI
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Andrew Pinnock
I had the same issue last month! kept transferring me to BOA and BOA kept saying to call - it was so frustrating. What finally worked for me was going directly to a of America branch with two forms of ID (driver's license and Social Security card). They were able to verify my identity in person and unlock my card immediately. The whole process took about 15 minutes. I know it's inconvenient to go in person, but it saved me hours of being transferred back and forth on the phone. Hope this helps!
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