Beware of unemployment fraud

The US unemployment rate stood at 6.7% in November 2020. Not surprisingly, many who are out of work are desperate for financial help and, unfortunately, prime targets for criminals peddling fake pandemic relief and unemployment dollars. Whether out of work or simply a target, it’s important to know that government agencies will not request personal or financial information by email, text or phone. Likewise, legitimate agencies will not request a down payment of any kind before sending financial relief.