Our Response to Fraud
We’re committed to protecting benefits and fighting fraud in all forms. We use today’s latest technology and work with fraud-fighting groups and law enforcement to help keep your information safe. We encourage you to keep your own personal and financial information safe, too.
2,264
Investigations
929
Arrests
611
Convictions
Did You Know? We've recovered $5.9 billion in unemployment funds.
We continue to stop fraud before it happens, investigate and prosecute criminals, recover stolen money, and help people affected by identity theft.
Our Strategy
Partner with Law Enforcement
We’ve created guides to help law enforcement investigate unemployment fraud. We also provide technical support to agencies working on these cases. Each region in California has a contact person at EDD to help with local cases. Out-of-state law enforcement agencies can also request information from us to investigate and prosecute fraud in their own areas.
Our Investigations Department
Our Investigations Department works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to stop fraud and recover money. Since 2020, nearly 1,800 fraud cases have been opened with our help. Hundreds of suspects have been arrested and charged. Our staff is dedicated to fighting fraud and keeping your information safe.
Fraud Special Counsel
California Governor Gavin Newsom chose McGregor Scott, a former U.S. Attorney and elected District Attorney, to be our Fraud Special Counsel. He leads a team that uses data and advanced tools to find fraud and send cases to law enforcement for investigation and prosecution. So far, they’ve helped report cases involving millions in fake payments. They give advice to our leaders, help us recover stolen money, and work with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor to find and support criminal investigations in California
The Counsel also works with the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) on a special task force focused on pandemic-related unemployment fraud. CalOES gave $5 million to help cover costs for District Attorneys working on these cases. In June 2022, the Legislature approved two more rounds of $5 million — one for District Attorneys through EDD, and another for state and local law enforcement to support high-tech crime investigations.
New Technology and Tools
ID.me
We use ID.me, an identity verification system, to stop identity fraud at the start of the application process. This tool has blocked more than $100 billion in fraud. It also helps us send fraud cases to law enforcement.
Data Analytics
We work with vendors like ID.me, Accenture, and Thomson Reuters to find fraud using advanced data analysis. So far, our vendors have helped us refer hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud to authorities.
Other Fraud Tools
- Money Network: Issues chip-enabled debit cards for added security.
- Document Changes: We no longer print Social Security numbers on mail to limit identity theft.
- Call Center: We set up a 1099-G call center to help identity theft victims with tax issues.
- Public Alerts: We regularly warn customers about the most common scams.
"We will continue working with law enforcement to put fraudsters
behind bars and recover every stolen dollar that we can.”
– Fraud Special Counsel, McGregor Scott
Recovering Stolen Money
Once someone is convicted of fraud, we ask the court to order restitution — which means returning stolen money. We also:
- Work with experts in asset recovery.
- Upgraded our recovery systems.
- Use all legal methods available, like forfeiture and administrative actions.
"Sacramento Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Benefit Fraud Scheme During Pandemic"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, August 7, 2025
"Citrus Heights Couple Sentenced for $1 Million Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, August 7, 2025
"Convicted Felon Federally Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $800,000 in COVID Funds by Hiding Criminal History"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, August 6, 2025
"Man charged with nearly $600,000 in wire and mail fraud against EDD"
– KCRA 3, July 21, 2025
"Stanislaus County Mother-Son Duo Sentenced to Prison for Inmate Unemployment Insurance Claims Conspiracy"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, July 18, 2025
"Former Amtrak Employee Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Prison for Crimes, Including Near-$1 Million COVID Jobless Benefits Fraud"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, July 17, 2025
"Man stole over $1.3 million through California COVID fraud scheme to build hotel, nightclub abroad"
– KTLA 5 Morning News, July 16, 2025
"Inglewood Woman Charged in Federal Indictment Alleging $1.3 Million in COVID-19 Jobless Benefits Scheme"
– Sierra Sun Times, July 6, 2025
"Virginia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, July 1, 2025
"Miami Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for $2.3 Million COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, June 24, 2025
"Riverside County Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Running $1.7 Million COVID-19 Benefits Fraud She Advertised on Instagram"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, June 18, 2025
"Second Defendant Pleads Guilty For Fraudulently Obtaining Millions In Public Benefits And Laundering Proceeds To China"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania, June 2, 2025
"Detroit mail carrier accused of defrauding pandemic-era unemployment benefit programs"
– CBS News Detroit, May 27, 2025
"California Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, May 21, 2025
"Westwego Woman Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud by Defrauding State Offices of Unemployment Insurance"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, May 19, 2025
"Former State Government Employee and Her Ex-Boyfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Jobless Relief"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, May 9, 2025
"Citrus Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Participation in $1 Million Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme and to Firearm Charge"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, April 24, 2025
"Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scheme During COVID-19 Pandemic"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, April 4, 2025
"Oakland Woman Who Made Multiple Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Claims Using Stolen Identities Sentenced To 33 Months And One Day"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, March 31, 2025
"Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Over Three Years In Prison For Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud And Identity Theft"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada, March 28, 2025
"Former EDD Employee Sentenced to 66 Months for Mail Fraud and Bribery Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, March 28, 2025
"High Springs Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, March 26, 2025
"5 Charged in Alleged $3.3 Million Scam to Obtain COVID Jobless Benefits for Unqualified Individuals, Including Children and Inmates"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, March 6, 2025
"Citrus Heights Woman Pleads Guilty to Participation in $1 Million Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, February 27, 2025
"Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Participation in Nearly $2.6 Million COVID-19 Benefit Fraud Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, February 13, 2025
"Serial Fraudster Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $3 Million and Five Indianapolis Homes"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana, February 3, 2025
"CEO of Non-Profit that Provided Mentoring Services to Public School Students Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Benefits"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, November 25, 2024
"Fresno County Man Indicted for Mailing Falsified Disability Insurance Claims"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, November 12, 2024
"San Bernardino County Woman and Man Arrested on Indictment Alleging $2.1 Million Scheme to Illegally Get COVID Jobless Benefits"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, November 5, 2024
"68 Defendants Charged in Indictment of Dozens of Members and Associates of San Fernando Valley White Supremacist Gang"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, October 2, 2024
"Tracy Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Fraudulent Scheme to Steal California Unemployment Insurance Benefits"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, September 18, 2024
"Sacramento, California Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Unlawfully Collecting $100,000 in Unemployment Benefits During COVID-19"
– Sierra Sun Times, June 27, 2024
"CEO of Non-Profit that Provided Mentoring Services to Public School Students Arrested on COVID Jobless Benefits Fraud Charges"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, June 26, 2024
“Ex-USC football player agrees to plea bargain in fraudulent COVID benefits case"
– Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2024
“Alleged Mastermind of $5 Million Unemployment Fraud Scheme Extradited from Romania"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, February 23, 2024
“Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to $5 Million Unemployment Fraud Scheme"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, February 15, 2024
“Mother and Daughter Team Plead Guilty in COVID-19 Related Jailhouse Unemployment Insurance Fraud”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, January 16, 2024
“Two Nigerian Nationals Based in Maryland Sentenced for Schemes to Steal California and Other States’ Unemployment Insurance Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, October 10, 2023
“Nigerian National Based in Maryland Sentenced to 4 Years and 9 Months in Prison and Nigerian House Ordered Forfeited for Schemes to Steal Unemployment Insurance Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, July 25, 2023
“California Resident Sentenced To Prison For Committing Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada, July 25, 2023
“Suspect Arrested on Charges for EDD Fraud After Thorough Investigation by District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations”
– Kern County District Attorney, July 24, 2023
“Hospital Employee Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Using Patient Information to Steal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, July 21, 2023
“San Diego Couple Charged with Stealing Stimulus Payments During Pandemic and Purchasing Luxury Mercedes-Benz and Jewelry”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, July 17, 2023
*Note: The couple was charged with crimes related to fraudulent UI applications to EDD even though not mentioned in the headline.
“Romanian National Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Covid Relief Fraud”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, July 11, 2023
“Convicted Murderer Who Ran $1.5 Million COVID Jobless Benefits Fraud from Behind Bars Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, July 10, 2023
“Victorville Woman Sentenced to 2½ Years in Federal Prison for Using Inmates’ Info to Illegally Obtain Over $500,000 in COVID Jobless Aid”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, June 26, 2023
“New Jersey Man Sentenced to 6.75 Years in Prison for Schemes to Steal California Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Economic Injury Disaster Loans”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, May 22, 2023
“L.A. Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for $5.5 Million COVID Jobless Benefits Scam, Tax Fraud and Drug Trafficking”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, March 6, 2023
"Romanian Citizen Arrested and Charged in $5 Million Covid Relief Fraud"
–U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, March 2, 2023
"Two Nigerian citizens indicted for attempting to defraud the United States of over $25 million"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington, February 22, 2023
“Two Men Plead Guilty To COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Conspiracy”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada, February 17, 2023
“Woodbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia, February 16, 2023
“Two Euclid Men Charged with Stealing COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, February 15, 2023
"Kern County Resident Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Role in Disability Benefits Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, February 13, 2023
“Fresno Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Unemployment Benefit Fraud Scheme and Possession of Stolen Mail”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, February 9, 2023
"Inland Empire Woman Pleads Guilty to Using Prison Inmates’ Names to Fraudulently Obtain Over $500,000 in COVID Jobless Relief"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, January 23, 2023
"Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identities to Apply for More Than $1 Million in COVID Jobless Benefits"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, January 23, 2023
“New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Schemes to Steal California Unemployment Insurance Benefits and to Steal Economic Injury Disaster Loans”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, January 9, 2023
"Justice Department Announces Results of Nationwide COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Action"
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, August 23, 2023
"Justice Department Announces Nationwide Coordinated Law Enforcement Action to Combat COVID-19 Health Care Fraud"
- United States Attorney's Office Central District of California, April 20, 2023
"Tackling the biggest fraud in US history – pandemic relief"
- The Christian Science Monitor, April 3, 2023
“Former Mail Carrier and Co-Schemer Who Lived on His Mail Delivery Route Each Sentenced to Nearly 3½ Years in Prison for COVID Fraud”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, December 12, 2022
"Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Stealing Nearly $5.5 Million in COVID Jobless Relief and for Drug Trafficking"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, November 14, 2022
"Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrest of EDD Fraud Suspect Alleged to Have Stolen Identities of Scott Peterson, Cary Stayner"
– California Department of Justice, October 19, 2022
"Employment Development Department Reminds Californians to Guard Against Identity Theft “ Smishing ” Scams"
– Employment Development Department, October 18, 2022
"Employment Development Department Reminds Californians to Guard Against Identity Theft “ Smishing ” Scams"
– EDD, October 18, 2022
"Justice Department Announces COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, September 14, 2022
“Rapper Who Bragged About COVID-Related Jobless Benefits Scam Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Fraud and Firearm Charges”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, July 6, 2022
“Six Defendants Arrested on Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging They Fraudulently Obtained $2 Million in COVID-19 Jobless Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, July 6, 2022
"California recovers $1.1 billion in unemployment aid amid fraud investigation”
– Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2022
“EDD Halts New Unemployment Insurance Fraud Attempt, Begins Notifying Claimants and Potential Victims”
– EDD, May 26, 2022
"Postal Service Mail Carrier Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Nearly $800,000 in Jobless Benefits"
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, May 26, 2022
“Woman Serving Life Prison Sentence Allegedly Led Ring that Used Stolen Identities to Apply for Pandemic Unemployment Benefits”
– U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, May 17, 2022
“Employment Development Department and California Office of Emergency Services Announce More Unemployment Insurance Fraud Crackdowns”
– EDD, April 12, 2022