This is an official communication from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Unemployment Insurance Division.
Be on the lookout for scams attempting to steal your information
Unfortunately, alongside the surge in unemployment claims over the past year, we’ve also seen a sharp increase in the amount of identity theft, fraudulent activity, and unemployment insurance-related scams. Fraudsters sometimes send emails, text messages, and social media messages posing as CDLE in order to steal personal information such as Social Security numbers, account usernames and passwords, and more. This is called phishing. We have seen dozens of these scams in recent months as criminals become more sophisticated in their tactics. A new ID.me scam has surfaced that we want you to be aware of so you can protect yourself.
Beware of Phony ID.me Emails
As you likely know, CDLE has partnered with ID.me, a trusted and federally-certified technology vendor, to process identity verifications. This helps us reduce fraudulent claim activity and protects the integrity of Colorado’s unemployment programs.
Unfortunately, fraudsters are now sending emails which purport to be from CDLE and look nearly identical to the authentic ID.me emails CDLE sends to claimants.
If you receive an email about ID.me, use these tips to ensure it is an authentic communication and not a phishing scam:
- Check the “From” and “Reply To” addresses in the header of the email you receive. Authentic ID.me emails sent by CDLE will come from the address cdle_ui@state.co.us. If you see another email address in the “From” or “Reply To” fields, such as cdle_ui@sta.sg or cdle_ui@sta.la, then the email is a phishing scam.
- In authentic ID.me emails sent by CDLE, the green “Begin Identity Verification” button will direct you to the ID.me page on CDLE’s website (https://cdle.colorado.gov/idme). If this button directs you to any other website — including a website which may look like the ID.me application — then the email is a phishing scam.
- Authentic ID.me emails sent by CDLE will direct you to complete your ID.me identity verification either before a specific date or within ten days. If an email tells you that you must verify your identity “within the next 24 hours,” then the email is a phishing scam.
Neither CDLE or ID.me will contact you via text message or social media about ID.me identity verifications.
The Scams page on the UI Daily Dashboard includes additional tips to protect yourself from unemployment insurance scams, including screenshots of verified scams CDLE has identified. You can also review our press release about these scams.
For more consumer protection information, please visit StopFraudColorado.gov.
If you have any questions about whether or not an ID.me email you receive is legitimate, please contact CDLE at 303-536-5615, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
633 17th St, Denver, CO 80202