A texting scam with a fake website designed to look like Workforce West Virginia’s is attempting to hijack people’s benefits.
Workforce WV issued a warning about the scam Thursday. Over 100 people have reported the scam, said Andy Malinoski, director of the office of marketing and communications for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
Malinoski said no one has fallen for it that he is aware of.
According to Workforce, people are getting text messages informing them “there are issues with their West Virginia Insurance Claim” and providing a link to a website. The site is fraudulent and is designed to look like the Workforce site. Multiple phone numbers have been used in the scam, Malinoski said.
“There are bad actors out there attempting to get West Virginians to provide detailed personal information so they can hijack the claimants’ benefits. It is important to note that Workforce never communicates with claimants by text,” said Scott Adkins, acting commissioner for Workforce West Virginia.
Workforce communicates through email on file, U.S. mail, and by phone number on file, Malinoski said.
The Workforce fraud unit is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the source of the activity.
“Workforce continues to work to deliver benefits to those that qualify for them,” Adkins said. “What’s really unfortunate about this situation is that fraudulent claims slow down the process for folks who’ve lost their job, need help, and have been waiting on an unemployment check.”
In February, the last month for which the data is available, 6.9%, or 54,400 West Virginians, were unemployed.
The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office and Morgantown Police Department told The Dominion Post they have not received reports about the scam.
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