OHIO — Fake unemployment sites linked to Russia and China are stealing personal banking information from Ohioans, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) warned Monday.
The sites identified as spam include unemployment-ohio-gov.com, which is housed in a Russian server using a Chinese domain, and ohio-gov.cn.
“We know that individuals are receiving text messages and emails that link to these phony websites. It’s important to pay attention to know whether they are legitimate. Please look closely before clicking sites that look like the real deal but aren’t,” said ODJFS Interim Director Matt Damschroder.
ODJFS gave this advice to avoid scams:
- Never click hyperlinks in texts and emails from sources you don’t know
- Double-check your account through ODJFS by logging in and making sure personal information is correct
- ODJFS will never contact you for confirmation of your password or username
- If you notice changes in your account, call 833-658-0394
Ohio’s unemployment has been declining over the last few months. In March, the state unemployment rate was 4.7%, which was lower than the national average of 6%, according to ODJFS. Around 272,000 workers were unemployed, a decline from February’s 288,000.
Unemployment fraud claims also dropped over the last eight weeks, with the highest number of claims coming in at 44,000 in February, according to ODJFS. Ohio paid out at least $330 million last year in PUA benefits to scammers.
