NEW YORK UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE - FRAUD

There is also this warning from the claimant's handbook:

"UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FRAUD

WARNING THIS HANDBOOK CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO READ AND FOLLOW ALL OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS HANDBOOK. YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR FOLLOWING THESE RULES.

Claiming unemployment insurance fraudulently is a serious offense. It can lead to severe penalties, including CRIMINAL PROSECUTION and imprisonment.

You may be guilty of fraud if you hold back information from or give false information to the Department of Labor. You must report the true reason you were separated from employment. If you work while receiving benefits and do not report that employment, even if it is part-time work, you may be committing fraud. You must report all full-time and part-time employment to the Labor Department or you risk criminal penalties.

It is fraud to allow someone else to certify for benefits for you by mail, telephone or on the Internet. TEL-SERVICE is offered in English and Spanish and we provide a translation service for other languages. There is a separate phone number for the hearing impaired (see ‘How Do I Get My Benefits’). There are special allowances for individuals with disabilities (see ‘Personal Identification Number’). However, in all cases, you are responsible for the actions and answers of your interpreter.

In all cases of fraud, we can impose civil penalties or fines. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, the penalties are a fine up to $500 or up to a year in jail or both. The felony conviction carries an even longer jail sentence.

Under federal law, it is also a felony to alter, buy, sell or counterfeit a Social Security Account card. This offense is punishable by fine and imprisonment.

Unemployment Insurance is a protection for you now and in the future. Do not jeopardize this protection by committing fraud on your benefit claim."