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WORKFORCE WV Recovers Money From Fraudulent Claims Save Email Print
Posted: 1:47 PM Jul 23, 2008
 Last Updated: 1:47 PM Jul 23, 2008
 Reporter: Anna Baxter
Email Address: anna.baxter@wsaz.com
17 comments
A | A | A

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- WORKFORCE West Virginia announced Wednesday it found nearly $69,000 in fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits.

According to a press release, the Unemployment Compensation Division "detected fraud in claims filed by 120 individuals during the period and requested warrants on 36 of those cases."

The problems were found in the second quarter of 2008.

In all the cases, the person was penalized. According to a press release, penalties include a 52-week disqualification from receiving future unemployment benefits, repayment of overpaid benefits, possible fines and jail time, and possible civil suits.
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Posted by: MC on Jul 25, 2008 at 11:34 AM
I agree. If you are cheating, it's stealing. It's just that it upsets me that this makes headlines while there are thousands out there drawing, (and we all know someone who is), a check that are plenty healthy enough to work. You don't see much effort catching them. And when they are caught,(like the couple in Wayne county cheating SS), they get little punishment. Would you cheat the system to get a couple hundred thousand, only to get a few months home confinement as your punishment? The system is messed up!
Posted by: annoymous on Jul 24, 2008 at 09:23 PM
Unemployment is not a paid vacation supplied to someone by the govrnment after finding themselves out of work. It is a "support" mechanism which has become a way of life and lifestyle for many. You are entitled to it, but it comes with rules that make it clear that you must seek employment to continue your eligibility. I can remember when it was an embarassment to admit drawing it, now people getting it act like they just hit the lottery.
Posted by: Amy on Jul 24, 2008 at 01:23 PM
To comment on the actual article, I think it's great that the non-deserving people are being penalized. The key word in the article is "fraudulent". It's wrong to lie or mislead an agency designed to help people. Just because someone has paid into this for the working career, does not give them the right to file a fraudulent claim. It's for people deserving that $. I also agree w/ the comment that they should be drug tested--why not? Also, I agree that the deadbeat parents get penalized for not paying child support. I, too, am owed several thousand $, while my ex has a new(er) truck and a new crotch rocket.
Posted by: LORI on Jul 24, 2008 at 12:28 PM
JUST "ABOUT" ALL OF THESE COMMENTS ARE RIDICULOUS. OH SO IT'S THE GOVERNMENTS' JOB TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DON'T LIE, CHEAT, OR STEAL. IF A PERSON DOES THIS THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GET CAUGHT AND PAY THE PENALTY. IF YOU CAN'T FOLLOW THE LAWS OUR GOVERNMENT SETS THEN DON'T APPLY TO ANY AGENCYS' FOR ANYTHING AND YOU WON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO PEOPLE WANT TO BREAK THE LAW AND THEN TURN AROUND AND WON'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.....IT IS THE GOVERNMENTS' FAULT! GIVE ME A BIG OL' BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GROW UP PEOPLE! YOU ARE TALKING LIKE LITTLE JUNIOR HIGH KIDS WHO ARE TALKING SOMETHING THAT THEY THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT BUT HAVEN'T A CLUE! AGAIN, GROW-UP!
Posted by: sad on Jul 24, 2008 at 11:33 AM
No!!! anonymous it isnt steling. they paid into it!!!
Posted by: me on Jul 24, 2008 at 09:53 AM
For steve, folks only have to look for one job a week on unemployment and if they want to lay in bed the days that are left, well that is up to them. they paid into it, so it is theirs to collect for as long as they can. i bet you would too.
Posted by: I agree on Jul 24, 2008 at 09:14 AM
I agree that WV has some messed up systems. I especially agree with the lady about child support. My ex- husband owes $19k in back child support. It's funny too because he works from a union and works for different contractors and when he goes to work I call and tell them when he is going and what contractor he is working for and it still takes 30 days to get a payment. By that time he has gotten 3 or 4 checks for about $2000 and I haven't gotten a dime, when I do start getting money, I may get it two or three times then he is laid off and working for a different contractor. WV systems are a joke!!
Posted by: MC on Jul 24, 2008 at 07:58 AM
To Anonymous, It's no more stealing than the couple in Wayne county that was caught fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits. They got home confinement, only to go and do as they please. That's what is called "political connections"! Yes, it's a screwed up system!
Posted by: na on Jul 24, 2008 at 06:24 AM
Having never drawn unemployment I dont know the requirements but it seems to me if a man worked and paid it in he has a right to draw every penny of it back out. Even if his employer paid it in while he was working for him I feel its his money to draw out when he leaves that job. He cant draw it if he didnt pay into it so he would have to had worked some to even get it.
Posted by: greg on Jul 23, 2008 at 11:46 PM
sure there are people recieving ssi and unemployment benifits. Maybe if the country would focus on creating jobs IN THIS COUNTRY instead of sending them overseas, then people would not need these benifits. Our country has only been attacked on our own soil in two instances, pearl harbor and 9-11. If we would focus on helping our own people first instead of spending billions of dollars fighting an unwinnable war, then we would be in much better shape. People are entitled to benifits from the gov. and the state. Sure there are people who try to earn an easy buck, but there time will come as seen in this article. I have been on disability for 6 years and have hated every bit of it. But my decendents fought and died for our country. They died for the greatest country in the world. We should appreciate the freedoms we have realize they have come at a cost. People should take responsibility for themselves instead of blaming every body they can for their own failures.God bless america
Posted by: person on Jul 23, 2008 at 11:18 PM
i tink they need to be drugged tested the ssi gives drunks money for there problems for being a drunk y not pay for drug heads and pay them to keep buying it its all a joke the people that really needs it DONT GET IT nad the PEOPLE THAT DONT NEED IT GETS IT thats what we call one screwed up system right or wrong?
Posted by: J on Jul 23, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Wow, defrauding any government agency isn't a smart choice. However, child support is completely off the subject but WV needs to get a little tough with deadbeat parents. I do agree with an overhaul on SSI. I know many people who receive this who get their behinds out of the bed and work under the table daily. In my opinion if they are able to mow their lawn, push a car out of the road, walk 3 miles a day, and ride around all day in cars then their behinds should be atleast doing volunteer work!
Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 23, 2008 at 09:53 PM
these people need to be put in jail it's call stealing
Posted by: Lisa on Jul 23, 2008 at 07:43 PM
You know, not telling the truth to those people is not smart. Sooner or later they will find you. So it's best to just tell the truth and that way you don't have to worry.
Posted by: Steve T on Jul 23, 2008 at 04:59 PM
How do you report folks that say they are looking for jobs and are sleeping in bed, yet collecting unemployment checks?
Posted by: me on Jul 23, 2008 at 02:33 PM
We need to worry more about the dead beat dads who wont pay child support, and the real criminals who need to be put in jail other than these people who paid into their unemployment for years and should deserve every bit of it. If we didnt live in such a poor state and employment was easier to find we wouldnt have this problem. My ex owes me 20,000.00 in child support, and nobody has placed his butt in jail yet. get a grip!!
Posted by: MC on Jul 23, 2008 at 02:00 PM
That's it, go after a working person who may have hit hard times! A person who at least had to have held a job. IF you want to do something, go after the able bodies that are drawing SSI or workers comp. Not the ones who are really hurt, but ones that we all know that are pretending to be an Artist(drawing a check).
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