TATE COUNTY, Miss. — Nearly 1,500 people in Mississippi fell victim to a new scam.
Thieves are stealing personal information and filing for unemployment benefits.
According to Tate County Sheriff’s Office, five reports were filed in the last month.
Investigators said the thieves are targeting all sorts of people, from teachers to retail workers. Juanita Gardner of Senatobia is one of the victims.
“I went to work one morning, and [my boss] called me to the office, and then he was like, ‘You know you have been drawing unemployment,'” she said.
Gardner was caught off guard, because she works full-time at the Olive Branch Wal-Mart. She doesn’t need unemployment benefits.
After some digging, she found out someone stole her Social Security Number and other personal information, applied for unemployment benefits, and has been cashing checks since October.
“They are drawing money supposed to be mine one day if I need it,” she said.
Tate County investigator Stephanie Huddleston said five other people have reported the same scam within the past few months.
The victims told her they found out through their employer or a letter from the state’s unemployment office.
“A lot of times, it goes on. If you check your credit, all of a sudden you have a new mortgage, a new cellphone, multiple credit cards,” Huddleston said.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security reports nearly 1,5000 unemployment benefit victims, totaling $140,000. Now the attorney general’s office is investigating.
As for Gardner, she has a message for the thieves: “Don’t take my money that I work hard for. Go and find a job and find your own!”
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office has yet to find the thieves, so they’re asking you to give your local law enforcement a call if you notice anything fishy.
They also recommend you check your credit report, put a lock on your mailbox or get a P.O. box, and if you lose your wallet/purse, report it immediately.
If you think you’re a victim, file a report with your local law enforcement agency and contact the attorney general’s office at (800) 281-4418.
