The state of Michigan has formed a new task force to prosecute people who commit unemployment insurance fraud.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates about 26-billion dollars in unemployment benefits offered through the federal CARES Act will be stolen. Michigan has flagged some 340-thousand active claims to investigate them for fraud. Jeff Donofrio directs the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. He says the task force will work to “disentangle the real Michiganders” who’ve been the victims of identity theft.
“Our number one priority is to weed out the criminals and pay legitimate Michigan claimants, so vulnerable workers continue to get the benefits they deserve.”
The task force is led by the Michigan Attorney General’s office. Donofrio says 600 state employees are working full time to verify claimant identities, with another 200 scheduled for training next week. I