The Division of Employment Security (DES) actively engages and prosecutes unemployment insurance (UI) fraud. Offenders may be subject to canceled benefits, fines of up to 100% of overpaid amounts, and imprisonment. Therefore, it is very important that you are aware of both your rights and your responsibilities, in order to avoid fraud.
UI Claims Fraud:
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft or have received a 1099-G Form from DES and you have not drawn unemployment benefits during that tax year, please call 573-751-4058 and press option 5 to reach our Special Investigations Unit. They will ask you to verify your identity; this will likely require you to visit your local Missouri Job Center and present proof of identity. Additionally, report unemployment identity theft that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud. Click here for a MODES 4631 form to email to the Special Investigation Unit at special.investigations@labor.mo.gov. The Special Investigations Unit will investigate and contact you once a determination has been made.
- Workers/claimants must report all earnings for each week. This includes part-time wages, tips, commissions, bonuses, etc. Be especially certain to report any vacation pay, holiday pay and WARN pay, and the correct dates. If a worker/claimant does not report this income in full each week, he or she is committing fraud.
- A claimant’s work search record must list only employers that he or she actually contacted. The DES randomly audits claimants each week. DES contacts all the employers listed to ensure that the claimant actually applied with them. If a claimant makes up or falsifies the work search record, he or she is committing fraud.
- If a claimant deliberately makes a false statement or withholds information in order to receive benefits, he or she is committing fraud. If an overpayment of benefits occurs, the claimant must repay them. More information about overpayments.
The DES appreciates all tips regarding individuals fraudulently receiving benefits. To report UI claims fraud, please email: ReportUIFraud@labor.mo.gov, or call 573-751-4058, option 5. More details from the US Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
Due to strict DES confidentiality laws, we cannot confirm or deny an investigation initiated by a UI Fraud submission or disclose information about an employer or claimant.
Worker Misclassification Fraud:
- Employers cannot classify employees as independent contractors in order to avoid paying tax on them unless they truly are independent contractors. There are very strict requirements for independent contractors. If an employer falsely reports someone as an independent contractor, it is committing fraud.
- Employers must report all of their employees and their wages. If an employer does not report someone or something that it knows to be “reportable”, the employer is committing fraud. Our informational pages on liability and what is reportable can help employers comply with their reporting responsibilities.
The DES appreciates all tips regarding employers engaging in fraudulent reporting or fraudulently failing to report. To report employer fraud, please use the Report Worker Misclassification/1099 Abuse form (MODES-4610) or call the hotline at 573-751-1099.
Due to strict DES confidentiality laws, we cannot confirm or deny an investigation initiated by a UI Fraud submission or disclose information about an employer or claimant.