If you get an email from an account called “Wisconsin Department of Workforce”, do not open or respond to it. According to the real Department of Workforce Development, which manages unemployment insurance benefits for Wisconsin, it’s part of a multi-pronged scheme to get personal information called a “pfishing attack”.
Reports of the attack on Wednesday told of an email request for unemployment insurance information with a link to a form to fill in. That was accompanied by reports of another part of the effort using social media, such as a fake Facebook page to interact with potential victims along with some reports of similar activity on Twitter. The DWD worked with Facebook to have the fake page taken down.
A third part of the scheme was being conducted over the phone, with callers asked to provide their personal information to the person on the other end of the line.
The DWD says that while their staff can send secure messages through the official portal, they will never use email or social media for that purpose.
If you receive a request for information and are unsure if it came from Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance, contact a claims specialist at (414) 435-7069, or toll free at (844) 910-3661.
For more information about how to protect yourself from unemployment fraud and scams visit: dwd.wisconsin.gov/ui/
If you think you’ve been a victim of identity theft, contact the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 422-7128or DATCPHotline@
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