There has not been a data breach or leak of information within the Carson City School District but approximately 330 employees have had fraudulent unemployment claims filed against them, according to a news release from the district. In the release, the district said its human resources team continues to identify and refute false claims, and the district is unaware of any negative impacts or financial hardships suffered due to these attempts. The 330 false claims were among full-time, part-time and retired staff, going back to April 2020. The district said it has not been notified of any additional fraudulent activity on those employees’ or former employees’ personal financial accounts. The human resources department has made concerted efforts to help all impacted take the necessary steps and maintain their personal security, the release said. The district continues to file police reports with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and encourage individuals to file reports with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation as well as the FBI, which has taken over this investigation for the state. Employees also are given a reference number for the police report and are provided with a link to the Federal Trade Commission that offers support and help for those involved in scams. According to the FBI, the criminals obtain the stolen identity using a variety of techniques, including the online purchase of stolen personal identifiable information, previous data breaches, computer intrusions, cold-calling victims while using impersonation scams, email phishing schemes, physical theft of data from individuals or third parties and from public websites and social media accounts, among other methods. Many victims of identity theft related to unemployment insurance claims do not know they have been targeted until they try to file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits, receive a notification from the state unemployment insurance agency, receive an IRS Form 1099-G showing the benefits collected from unemployment insurance or get notified by their employer that a claim has been filed while the victim is still employed.
