Scammers target Idahoans with fake unemployment text messages

The Idaho Department of Labor is reminding Idahoans to be alert for a text messaging scam involving unemployment insurance claims.

Individual personal information has been compromised, hacked or breached by fraudsters in a large-scale nationwide scam involving phony texts about unemployment insurance.

If you receive a text with a link regarding unemployment insurance, disregard the text and do not click on the link. A fraudster has obtained — or stolen — your telephone number and is most likely using it to access unemployment benefits and steal your personal information. The text states your Idaho unemployment insurance claim is on hold for verification and instructs you to click on a link to reactivate your benefits. This text is a scam and should be deleted immediately.

If you have already received this text and clicked on the link, please call an unemployment insurance claim specialist at 208-332-8942 for further instruction.

You can also alert the department by filling out a form located at labor.idaho.gov/ReportIDTheft. The webpage contains frequently asked questions about identity theft.

The Labor unemployment insurance system has not been hacked, nor has there been a data breach.

Please be aware that the Idaho Department of Labor does not communicate with claimants via text currently.