Dear Neighbor,
My colleagues and I have received reports from constituents who are concerned about fraudulent activities related to unemployment insurance. Please keep a sharp eye out for identity theft attempts related to unemployment insurance. Particularly if you are not on unemployment and have not applied for that benefit. Report suspicious activities to local law enforcement.
Sadly, the scammers are clearly trying to take advantage of the current COVID-19 situation to use both the internet and US mail to attempt to steal your identity and get into your financial accounts.
Because of the current heavy use of unemployment benefits and the many new COIV-19 related grant and loan programs the current environment is ripe for scammers. It’s important to take action if you notice something improper.?
- File a police report – if it looks improper it likely is an identity theft attempt.
- Check your credit report –bad actors may have applied for many forms of credit and other programs.
- Closely monitor your credit card and bank accounts for any indication of suspicious activity.
- If you receive something that doesn’t look right, notify the state’s Unemployment Insurance office at this link.
We remain in special session here in St. Paul. I am focused on moving legislation that would direct the governor to immediately release $841 million of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars to our counties, cities and townships no later than June 30, 2020. The alternative is he parachutes those dollars out in dribs and drabs via state agencies with a tangle of strings attached.
As I stated in my last update, these are preliminary numbers and subject to change. Aitkin County is expected to receive about $1.9 million, with an additional $79,000 distributed to the cities and larger townships within Aitkin County. Crow Wing County would receive about $7.8 million, with an additional $180,000 distributed to the cities and larger townships.
Enjoy the nice weather, especially those of you that are busy baling hay!
Sincerely,
Dale