Best Practices to Protect Yourself and Avoid Scammers

Published: October 30, 2024

It is everyone’s responsibility to fight scammers and help safeguard vital programs and services like those offered by the EDD. Since 2020, our efforts prevented more than $125 billion in attempted fraud. As of February 2024, we seized or recovered nearly $6 billion in unemployment funds. We encourage all Californians to protect their personal information, stay informed about common scams, and report fraud attempts when they occur.

Protect Your Personal Information
Scammers use your personal information to apply for benefits in your name. We never need to access your personal bank account. If someone calls or texts asking for your bank account information over the phone, by email, or by text message – do not share it! Never provide unknown requestors with:

• Name and date of birth
• Social Security number
• Bank account information
• Credit card number, expiration date, or CVV
• Photos of government documents
• Phone type
• Mobile carrier
• Credit score

To protect your account from fraud, be on the lookout for criminals trying to impersonate the EDD by calling, texting, and emailing. Be cautious of unsolicited requests for personal or financial information with a sense of urgency. EDD emails only contain links to websites that include “edd.ca.gov.”

Stay Informed About Common Frauds and Scams
It is important to stay up to date as criminals are constantly changing their tactics to try and trick people into sharing personal information or steal their benefits. Visit FBI.gov to learn more. Common scams include:

• Romance Scams – Includes fake dating profiles or people who immediately ask for money.
• Job Opportunities – Legitimate employers are highly unlikely to hire via direct message.
• Cash Giveaways, Rewards, or Prizes – If it sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.
• Offers of unclaimed vehicles or personal property.
• Fake Unemployment Websites – Criminals trick people into providing their usernames and passwords on fake unemployment websites. Make sure your EDD activity is on our official EDD website that ends in edd.ca.gov.

We encourage Californians to remain vigilant and safeguard information to help prevent fraud. To learn more or report fraud, visit Help Fight Fraud.