LITTLE ROCK – Tax season is upon us. This year, unfortunately, many Arkansans have the added stress of dealing with fraudulent unemployment compensation claims when filing their taxes. Victims of unemployment fraud may have income wrongfully reported in their name that could add to their tax burden. Many consumers have been rightfully concerned about the safety of their personal and financial information due to this type of fraud.

“Con artists who try to steal from taxpaying Arkansans will be caught,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “I will always hold these criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Attorney General Rutledge offers the following tips for Arkansans filing their tax returns who have encountered unemployment fraud.

Be sure that you have contacted the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services’ fraud hotline at (501) 682-1058 or completed the secure fraud reporting form online at dws.arkansas.gov.
After filing the initial police report, send a copy to the Department of Workforce Services to stop the fraudulent income from being reported to the IRS.
Do not report the fraudulent earnings as your own or file an amended return.
Independently contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to review your earnings for accuracy. This step could take several weeks for the SSA to update their records.
Review the IRS Guide to Employment-Related Identity Theft at www.irs.gov.
Additionally, consumers can also protect their identity and personal information by contacting the three credit bureaus.

For more information about unemployment fraud contact, the Attorney General’s Office at OAG@ArkansasAG.gov.